


of kindergartners, concussions, and caffeine

by neroh



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Bisexual Character, Blowjobs, Concussions, Developing Relationship, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Little kids being monsters, M/M, Oral Sex, Spock/Uhura - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 13:42:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3383753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neroh/pseuds/neroh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim Kirk, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire, gets a concussion and leaves the hospital with a crush on one Dr. Leonard McCoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	of kindergartners, concussions, and caffeine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mangochi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mangochi/gifts).



> Thank you to Nicole for betaing this. 
> 
> I'm accidentally bunnied myself when I sent a similar prompt to Mango on Tumblr and decided to put my own spin on things. And to prove to Maya that I am capable of fluff.

Here’s the thing: Jim Kirk loves kids.

He wouldn’t have become a teacher or currently be working on his Master’s in Education if he didn’t.

He loves watching them learn and grow; interacting with the world around them, their delight when they are fascinated with his lessons, and how they come barreling into his classroom each day. Jim adores the good kids and even the bad ones who mean well, but don’t seem to know what to do with their excess energy.

At the current moment, however, he _does not_ love the way that Kevin Riley and Gary Mitchell are acting at the end of the year party. The two boys were horsing around and wrestling on the floor about five seconds before until Nyota squashed that with her teacher ’s voice. He had taken Kevin, while she took Gary and separated them.

Well, now they are back and rolling around once more. Jim hears Nyota sigh as they look up from dispersing slices of cake to the other children. “I got it,” he assures, tapping his colleague on the shoulder.

Jim makes his way to them and looms over the boys with his hands folded across his chest. Neither of them seems to notice his presence since Kevin is too busy giving Gary a wedgie while the latter is sticking his finger into the former’s ear. Jim clears his throat and waits, only to be nudged in the foot by one of their flailing limbs. “Guys,” he finally says. “What did Ms. Uhura and I tell you?”

The boys aren’t listening. “I’ll bite you!” Kevin shrieks as Gary misses and jabs him in the cheek.

“No biting!” Jim counters, exasperated. It’s then the two boys realize they’ve been caught and stop mid-horsing around to stare up at their teacher. “Yeah, I’m back. You two need to learn the meaning of discrete.”

Gary’s wrinkles in confusion. “Huh?”

“Exactly,” Jim says as he scoops the two six-year-olds up and plops them on their feet. He kneels in front of them, arching a disapproving brow. “I get that you little monsters are excited about summer break and can’t wait to leave, but can you behave for just another hour?”

Kevin and Gary look at each other, each of them ashamed of their behavior because Mr. Kirk is their favorite teacher. “Okay,” they both say quietly.

“Thank you,” Jim sighs, patting them on the shoulder. He gets to his feet and smiles triumphantly at Nyota, who is doing a poor job at hiding the smirk on her lips. “Now, let’s get some cake and watch a movie!”

All seems right in the world until Gary pushes Kevin a little too hard, who then collides with Jim, catching him off balance. He finds himself losing his footing and tripping over a wayward pink backpack before colliding forehead first into a desk.

Jim hits the piece of furniture so hard that he literally sees stars, perhaps the Horsehead Nebula, maybe the Pillars of Creation and an alien ship. He doesn’t fucking know.

What Jim does know is that he is _really_ glad he loses consciousness just as someone—probably Edie Keeler because she _always_ cries—starts screaming at ear-splitting volumes.

He wakes up in a hospital triage room with a tube up his nose, an IV line in his hand, and wearing one of those itchy, flimsy gowns instead of his sweater. Jim doesn’t exactly realize this since his body is a mess of pain and the room is spinning.

Literally spinning; he absently wonders how this is possible as he screws his lids shut. He’ll ask Spock later since his best friend and roommate is an aerospace engineer.

“Doctor,” says a sing-song voice, noticing that Jim is waking up.

Someone is touching his shoulder, then his chin. “Mr. Kirk?” a deep voice asks as they turn his head towards them. “My name is Doctor…”

Jim makes the mistake of opening his eyes and feels his lunch of finger foods revolt in his stomach. The doctor, whatever his name is, must notice because an emesis bag is thrust under his mouth just in time for him to throw up into. He can’t even hold the stupid thing himself and when he’s done, Jim flops back against the pillows to groan pathetically.

Once his mouth has been wiped and rinsed, the doctor speaks again. “Mr. Kirk,” he says, “my name is Doctor McCoy. Do you remember what happened?”

“I hate kids,” Jim tells him.

The doctor chuckles. “Well I would probably hate them too if I was in your position,” Dr. McCoy replies. There’s some rustling and a clicking sound that reminds Jim of a flashlight turning on and off. “Do you think you can open your eyes for me?”

“I may throw up on you,” Jim groans, slowly blinking his eyes open. His vision is blurred and he’s pretty sure he’s seeing double. “Where are my glasses?”

Dr. McCoy doesn’t turn his head this time, but he does shine a penlight into his eyes. “They broke when you dove into that desk,” he answers distractedly. Jim suspects the doctor is too preoccupied with checking to see if his brains are leaking out of various orifices. “Your girlfriend went home to get you another pair.”

“Nyota?” Jim balks. “She’s my roommate’s girlfriend. Actually, she’s like my other roommate. She _never_ leaves the apartment.” He shuts his eyes when they start to tear and blinks them back open. Jim can see Dr. McCoy more clearly; his heart-shaped face, white lab coat, and dark hair. Other than that, he’s a blob. “I like her. We work together and all, but half of the bathroom is filled with her stuff.”

Dr. McCoy is murmuring something to the nurse and laughs at Jim’s babbling. “Really? Half?”

“She has _four_ different shampoos and conditioners,” Jim continues on. “I use one of those two-in-ones, but I have to admit Nyota smells really nice. Do I smell nice?”

The doctor coughs. “Pardon?”

“Do I smell nice?” Jim repeats, closing his eyes so he can tilt his neck without feeling sick.

Dr. McCoy, who is already leaning over him, sniffs him. The sound startles Jim into opening his eyes and he gets a good look at the doctor, who is _hot_.

Like a former supermodel who’s become a doctor and aged gracefully hot. Jim is certain there’s no such thing, but if there was this doctor falls into that category. He is all golden skin with a beauty mark on his right cheek, the most gorgeous hazel eyes Jim has ever seen, and a dusting of scruff on his face.

“You’re really pretty,” Jim tells him. “What’s your name?”

The doctor seems to be in a mild state of shock at the younger man’s assessment and stutters out, “Leonard. Leonard McCoy.”

“Do you want to get coffee sometime?”

Dr. McCoy—well, _Leonard_ —rolls his eyes and stands up straight. “Slow down there, Romeo,” he says with amusement. “Let’s first get you feeling better before you start asking me out on dates.”

“Is that a yes?” Jim asks, sitting up.

Leonard is trying desperately not to smile and keeps his eyes on the monitors next to Jim’s bed. “It’s a _maybe_ ,” he answers.

“I can wear you down,” the younger man chirps as the nurse, a pretty woman with white-blonde hair, pulls back the curtain.

He makes the mistake of following her movements and doesn’t have time to warn Leonard. Jim throws himself over the edge of the hospital bed and ends up vomiting onto the doctor’s very nice, very expensive loafers.

“Those probably need to be thrown out,” Jim mumbles before he passes out.

He’s _very_ grateful.

 

* * *

 

A hand cards through his hair. 

The nails are too long to be Nyota’s judging by the pleasant way they scratch his scalp. They hit a tender spot and Jim winces. “Ouch,” he grumbles.

“Sorry honey,” Aurelan apologizes.

Jim rubs his cheek against the pillows under his head and slowly opens his eyes. It’s abundantly clear that he’s no longer in the triage room and his brother’s fiancée is curled up on a seat next to his bed. “Is he getting me back for throwing up on his shoes?” he questions.

“Whose shoes?”

“The doctor’s,” Jim replies. He blinks, noticing that his right eye hurts more than his left. “I threw up on him.”

Aurelan, god bless her, humors him with a sympathetic smile. “Well, I’m sure he knows you didn’t do it on purpose,” she tells him.

“Where am I?” Jim asks. He realizes that the sun has long set and it must be later in the evening. In fact, the lights are fairly dim in the hospital room.

“They admitted you for observation,” Aurelan replies while reaching for a pitcher on the table beside the bed. She is holding a paper cup, which she pours water into.

Jim sips the water slowly, remembering not to temper fate. “Where’s Sam?” he finally asks.

“Sam’s in Boston, remember?” She takes the cup from him and refills it. “He called to tell me that he’s flying back tomorrow morning - it was the earliest flight he could get. Until then, you’re stuck with me.”

Jim grins. “You mean you’re stuck with _me_ ,” he teases.

“True, but the hospital would only allow family members stay overnight,” Aurelan explains with a grin. “So I _may have_ told them that I was your sister-in-law.”

He shrugs and closes his eyes. “To-may-to, To-mah-to,” he says. “How’s the room service in this joint?”

“Not too terrible,” Aurelan chuckles. She motions to a duffle bag that sits across from them on an empty chair. “Spock and Nyota brought over some of your things, including your glasses. They said they'd come back tomorrow during visiting hours.”

Jim lifts his head just enough to see the bag and smiles. “They are the best roommates,” he sighs. “Are the kids okay? I didn’t hit anyone on my way down, did I?”

“The kids are fine,” Aurelan tells him, trying not to laugh. “Nyota said that they were a little shaken up; apparently you were bleeding all over the place.”

He wrinkles his face in confusion. “I was bleeding?” Jim asks as he starts to touch his forehead, focusing on the part that’s throbbing ever so slightly.

“Stop that,” Aurelan says, batting his hand away from a piece of gauze that’s taped to his skin. “You have stitches! _And_ a black eye.”

“Serves me right for trying to break up a fight between two six-year-olds,” Jim grouses.

Aurelan giggles and reaches for his hand, which she squeezes. “Sam also called your parents,” she mentions.

“Oh god,” he groans. “Did Dad completely flip out?”

She shrugs, reaching for the hospital menu. “I think he talked to your mom,” Aurelan guesses. “They’re going to call you on Sam’s phone when he gets here.”

Jim sighs with relief because he knows his dad and if he wasn’t stationed in Guam with his mom, the Kirks would be on the first flight back to San Francisco. “Mom will break it to him easy,” he assures, shivering.

“Do you need more blankets?” Aurelan asks. “I think Spock packed a sweatshirt in your bag. Let me get a nurse in here.”

He loves Aurelan and is glad that she is marrying his brother. She’s the type of girl he envisioned as an older sister. Aurelan dishes it out and takes it one moment, then is nurturing the next. She’s one part sibling, another part surrogate mother.

A nurse, different from the one in the triage room, comes in and takes Jim’s vitals before helping him maneuver his Cal sweatshirt over his hospital gown. She brings in more blankets while Aurelan is ordering him some soup and toast with some ginger ale.

“The doctor said to keep it light,” she tells him as she hangs up the room phone. “At least until tomorrow morning.”

Jim is sitting comfortably on the bed and feeling much warmer than before. “Dr. McCoy?”

“I think so,” she says.

“Tall, dark, and really hot?” Jim presses on. “And possibly wearing no shoes.”

Aurelan snorts. “He _was_ really cute,” she agrees, winking conspiringly.

“His voice,” Jim sighs, sounding like a lovelorn teenager. He then pouts, remembering what happened earlier. “Why couldn’t I have met him the normal way? Like in a coffee shop or bar?”

He feels Aurelan’s hand on his. “At least you were memorable,” she assures.

“Ugh,” Jim groans, throwing an arm over his face to hide his flushed cheeks.

Aurelan laughs at him; if he’s honest with himself, Jim would probably laugh too.

 

* * *

 

Jim has a rough night, starting with the fact that the hospital bed isn’t _his_ bed and the pillows aren’t _his_ pillows.

His head throbs and he is seriously considering a career change when he finally manages to drift off, though it’s not particularly restful. And that’s not even the worst of it.

No, he wakes up around three or four in the morning and _pukes_ soup and toast all over himself. Aurelan pages the nurse and then tells him that everything will be fine until a pair of feet come barreling down the hallway. Jim is unhooked from the IV line and thanks common sense that he removed his sweatshirt before bedtime.

An orderly by the name of Hendorff helps him into the bathroom and removes his soiled hospital gown. Jim hasn’t been this embarrassed since the time Sam came to visit him at Berkeley and they partied a little too hard, and then he threw up in the bushes outside his dorm after seeing god in the form of a Native American woman.

“It can only go up from here,” Jim pouts as he cleans himself up in the shower. He knows by the mini-bottles of shampoo, toothpaste, a new toothbrush, and deodorant that Spock was in charge of packing his duffle bag. His roommate may be a bit stoic, but he really comes through in a crisis. “Right Cupcake?”

He hears Hendorff’s laughter from the other side of the curtain. “Right kid,” he replies.

Once he’s done and changed into a clean hospital gown with his flannel pajama bottoms because there’s no way in hell that Jim will wander around with his ass hanging out, Jim settles back into his immaculate bed. His IV port is given an injection of Zofran to settle his nausea, and finally exhausted, he is able to fall asleep.

The next time he wakes up, Jim has regained some dignity while Sam is sitting next to his bed and typing away on his laptop. “Hey Sammy,” he yawns, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Hey kiddo,” his brother says, putting down the computer and leaning in so that Jim can see him without the aid of his glasses. “You look like hell.”

Jim nods in agreement. “I caught a glimpse in the mirror.”

“I heard you got jumped by a gang of five-year-olds,” Sam jokes, patting his baby brother’s leg.

“It was _two_ six-year-olds,” Jim corrects. “And I wasn’t jumped; I was _pushed_.”

Sam smirks. “Yeah, Nyota told me when you were brought here,” he says sympathetically. “She also said that you were knocked out cold.”

“And bleeding,” Jim adds, gesturing to his concealed stitches. “How’s Dad handling it? Did he have a coronary?”

His brother pulls a face that either means he’s constipated or their dad did, in fact, flip out at hearing that his youngest was in the hospital. “Mom said that he turned this bright shade of red like the time you wrecked his Corvette and then burst into tears.”

“First of all, I did not _wreck_ the Corvette,” Jim argues.

“You took off the _entire_ front of the car.”

“Dad was able to fix it!”

Sam rolls his eyes. “ _Anyways_ ,” he warns in a tone that reminds him of their dad. “They called while you were asleep.”

“Now he probably thinks I’m in a coma,” Jim groans, squeezing his eyes shut.

“No, but your doctor did,” Sam chuckles.

Jim feels his stomach tie itself in knots. “Dr. McCoy was in here?”

“Yeah,” Sam answers. “You were drooling all over the place. I told him that you’re normally a heavy sleeper and it takes a bomb going off to get you up.”

Jim frowns. “First of all, that’s a _bold face lie_!” he retorts. “And I don’t drool!”

“You definitely do,” Sam quips, pointing to Jim’s pillow. “Right there; _that’s_ drool!”

Jim shakes his head. “You are so full of shit!” he fires back. “You snore in your sleep!”

“What? No, I do not!”

They are too busy arguing to notice that Leonard is standing by an opening in the curtains and has a grin on his face. Eventually, once Sam recounts the time he and Jim were sharing a sleeping bag, which the latter farted in, the doctor clears his throat.

“Good morning,” Leonard greets in a syrupy drawl that makes Jim weak in the knees.

He reaches for his glasses just in time to watch as Sam goes to shake the doctor’s hand. Jim goes unwontedly silent as Leonard and Sam engage in small chat. He begins picking at the blankets on the bed when his brother says his name. “Huh?” Jim mumbles.

“I’m going to step outside,” Sam tells him. “Need anything?”

Jim shakes his head, dropping the blankets to appear casual. He wishes he missed the strange look that crawls across his brother’s face, but Sam has an unnatural knack to catch the tiniest things. Once his brother’s left the room, Jim realizes he’s alone with Leonard. “I’m sorry about your shoes,” he blurts out.

“Don’t worry about it, Mr. Kirk,” the doctor assures as he pulls a stethoscope from his coat pocket. He blows on the metal end. “You’re not the first, nor the last patient to throw up on me.”

He swallows. “It’s Jim,” he tells Leonard. “If you say Mr. Kirk, I’ll think you’re talking about my dad…or Sam. How many pairs of shoes do you go through?”

“Plenty of them,” the doctor replies as he stands next to Jim. He parts the back of his hospital gown and presses the end of the stethoscope against his patient’s skin. “Breathe in and out. Again.” Leonard listens to Jim’s lungs, then moves to his front. “I’m sure you deal with your fair share of bodily fluids being a teacher.”

“Usually snot and blood,” Jim tells him, earning a chuckle from Leonard. He breathes in and out again, shivering against the touch of the metal end on his skin. “I’m still really sorry, though.”

Leonard is tucking the instrument back into his coat and shrugs. “Don’t worry about it,” he assures. He presses his hand against Jim’s forehead and frowns. “You feel a bit warm.” Leonard turns to the bedside table and opens a drawer, pulling out a thermometer. Once he snaps a plastic cone on the end, the doctor sticks it into Jim’s ear.

“I’m always warm,” Jim says as the device beeps. He feels it slide out of his ear and turns to watch Leonard inspecting it.

The doctor scowls at the thermometer and sighs. “You have a low-grade fever,” he tells Jim, looking down at him. Leonard smiles and reaches for the call button, which he presses. “It’s not that surprising, all things considered.”

“What does that mean though?” Jim asks.

“It means that you’re going to be with us for another night,” Leonard answers as a nurse comes in. He orders Ibuprofen and leaves instructions for what dosage should be used.

Meanwhile, Jim sulks. He _really_ wanted to go home and sleep in his own bed. He hates the smell of the hospital and the gown they are making him wear.

“It’s just one more night,” Leonard assures once the nurse is gone.

“Well you work here, so you’re used to hanging out in a hospital,” Jim grouses and crosses his arms as his shoulders slump.

Leonard snorts. “Think of it as a vacation,” he says. “We even have room service.”

“I know how you could make it better,” Jim suggests, putting on his most winning smile. The doctor arches a brow and smirks. “Let me take you to coffee.”

He watches Leonard roll his eyes and shake his head while a smile forms on his lips. Jim wonders what it would be like to kiss him; he suspects that the doctor is a good kisser because those lips are perfect and full and waiting to be defiled.

“Maybe,” the doctor replies.

Jim’s smile collapses into a frown. “Maybe usually means no,” he grumbles.

“Maybe _means_ maybe,” Leonard tells him.

Well, that’s better than nothing.

 

* * *

 

Nyota and Spock appear in the doorway of his hospital room just as Jim wakes up from another nap. 

While Sam waves in greeting and smiles at his friends, Jim is uncurling himself and rolling onto his back, yawning.

“I don’t recommend this place,” he jokes. “The food here sucks.” His brother hands him his glasses and he puts them on just in time to see the usually apathetic Spock’s mildly stunned expression and the bouquet of flowers he’s carrying. His best friend’s eyebrows raise slightly while he observes Jim’s condition.

They met during orientation at Cal and decided to become roommates against all odds. Spock, at times, can be robotic. As Jim found out, once a person cracks his shell, he’s a good guy and funny in that dry sort of way that catches people off guard, resulting in deep belly laughter. They’ve been friends with long enough for Spock to witness far too many Kirkian shenanigans. This incident, however, is new to him.

“Spock, I’m fine,” Jim assures as Nyota pecks his cheek and hugs him tightly. “Ny, tell him that I’m fine.”

His friend’s lip curls into a possible smirk, though one can never tell with him. “Despite your insistence, you are _not_ fine.”

“Oh come _on_ ,” he groans, looking to Nyota for some sort of help. “I bumped my head.”

“He was pushed into a desk and knocked himself out cold,” his brother clarifies.

Nyota joins in. “And bled all over the place,” she adds, gesturing dramatically with her hands.

“I hate all of you,” Jim mutters in defeat. He has been trying to downplay this whole incident as nothing, but clearly, his loved ones aren’t having it.

“Have the children responsible been dealt with?” Spock asks Nyota, who is carrying a fabric bag filled with goodies.

She and Jim exchange a look as she pulls out a tin filled with baked goods, followed by two envelops of varying sizes. “Spock, they are six,” Jim sighs. “I think seeing me carted off in an ambulance was enough of a reality check.”

His roommate doesn’t seem to think this is enough. “Their behavior was reckless and resulted in your injuries,” Spock tells him.

“They _are_  also six years old!”

Nyota pulls Spock to her and kisses his cheek. “They were spoken to about the dangers of roughhousing indoors, as well as pushing,” she assures. “Principal Marcus also brought their parents in for a conference to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Very well,” Spock says, seemingly pacified for now. “I should go ask the nurse’s station if they have a vase for these flowers.”

Sam goes with him, shooting a look at his little brother as they leave. Jim shrugs in reply and goes back to watching Nyota unpack the bag. “Was Alexander really pissed?”

“Yeah, but not at you,” she says, handing Jim the larger of the two envelops. “It’s from the kids.”

He opens it with a smile and finds a glitter, puffy paint, and crayon cover card made from orange construction paper. Jim opens it carefully to find the wobbly signatures of his students, wishing him a speedy recovery. “This is adorable,” he beams, turning to Nyota.

“I figured you’d like that one the best,” she says. She passes him the second envelope. “That one is from the staff.”

Jim can tell that Scotty picked it out because the card is borderline inappropriate and it makes him chuckle. The entire staff has filled it with well wishes, doodles, and promises to take him out for a drink. Jim snorts when he spies Principal Marcus’ note  _you couldn’t have face planted into the desk after school hours?_ and has to wipe his eyes. “I’ll send them thank you emails once I’m back home.”

The cards, plus the tin of cookies as it turns out, join the bouquet from his parents and the obnoxious get well balloons from Aurelan and Sam.

“Who got you the bear?” Nyota asks as she plucks a stuffed bear dressed in a doctor’s outfit from the table. It’s complete with a stethoscope and a tiny card attached to its foot. She hands it to Jim, who is just as confused.

He inspects the bear, probably purchased from the hospital gift shop, and turns his attention to the card. On the inside is a corny _I’m beary sorry to hear you’re sick. Get well soon!_ printed in black ink, followed by messy scrawl that is Leonard’s name and what Jim guesses to be his telephone number.

It’s safe to say that later in the evening, he falls asleep with the dopiest grin on his face.

 

* * *

 

Jim’s released from the hospital the following morning, though Leonard isn’t there to see him discharged.

It’s kind of disappointing, but he figures that Leonard has other doctor things he needs to tend to. Or, at least, that's what Jim suspects. The number is burning a proverbial hole in his pocket and Jim vows to call the doctor in the next day or so.

At that very moment, he just wants to go home and curl up in his bed. Sam drives him back to the apartment and sporadically rubs Jim’s arm in comfort as the younger man sits on the passenger side with his eyes closed.

One thing about Jim Kirk is that he’s neat, almost to the point of obsession. The apartment that he shares with Spock is always clean and orderly; not even the bathroom is left untouched by this. With that said, he’s incredibly grateful to find that the fridge and cabinets have been stocked with Jim’s favorite foods for when he’s sick. His sheets have been changed and his laundry is done (he strongly suspects that either Spock or Nyota had something to do with this), so all he has to do is rest.

Jim stumbles into his bedroom, vaguely noting the prescription bottles on his desk, and plops down on the mattress with a grateful sigh. He hugs a pillow and makes himself comfortable.

When Sam comes to check on him, he’s _definitely_ not drooling. Jim misses his brother’s snicker as he covers him with a blanket and gently ruffles his hair before leaving him to sleep.

It only seems like a few minutes have passed when Sam shakes him awake and shoves his phone into Jim’s hand. “It’s Mom and Dad,” he says.

“‘ello?” Jim mumbles into the phone.

He is rubbing his face when he hears his dad’s voice. “Jimmy,” George sighs into the phone. “You sound awful. Maybe Sammy should take you back to the hospital. Did they make sure that your skull wasn’t cracked? What about brain bruising?”

“Huh?” he croaks, his brain still not quite kicking in. Jim just woke up, he’s not supposed to know what’s going on. He turns to Sam, who just shrugs. “What about what, Dad?”

George makes a noise that could be a shriek or a sob being swallowed down. “James put your brother back on the phone,” he insists.

“Dad, I’m _fine_ ,” Jim tells him, almost snappish. “I was taking a nap when you called.”

“Why were you napping? It’s the middle of the day!”

He hears Sam snickering at him and kicks his brother in the shin. “I was tired,” Jim replies. “Hospital beds aren’t very comfortable and when you have Sammy snoring next to you…how does Aurelan even get sleep? Does she have earplugs?”

“Hey!” Sam yells, swatting Jim in the arm.

“Dad! He hit me!” he shouts, sounding every bit a little brother… at thirty years old. “Daddy! _Sam_ hit _me_! Stop hitting the invalid!”

Somehow, he manages to push Sam off the bed with just his feet while still holding the phone in his hand. His brother lands on the floor with a thud and Jim is victorious. He sticks his tongue out at Sam, who hurls the discarded blanket at him. “Anyways,” he says from under the blanket. “Dad, I’m fine.”

“What about the two little monsters who did this to you?” George asks with venom.

“You know, you and Spock should form a posse and burn those two six-year-old monsters at the stake,” Jim quips as he lies back down, dizzying from being upright.

George grumbles into the phone. “Are you sure you’re okay? Mom and I could take some leave to come…”

“I love you, dad, but I’m _really_ fine,” Jim insists. “Just a black eye, stitches, and a concussion.”

“Sammy said you threw up on the doctor,” George comments.

He flushes at the mere mention of that incident and decides that he owes Leonard a new pair of shoes. “I also threw up on myself, so I’m two for two.”

“James Tiberius,” George groans into the phone. He pauses what seems to be the beginning of a rant, which isn’t entirely his fault; Jim was born a month early and the senior Kirk has always been overprotective of his baby boy. “Your mom wants to talk to you.”

 _Thank god_ , Jim thinks to himself. It’s time for some sanity because, between Sam and their dad, they are making his head hurt.

“Is this old man bothering you, Cookie?” Winona asks as soon as her husband hands over the phone.

“Which one?”

Winona laughs because even she knows how George and Sam can be. “My poor baby,” she coos. “What did the doctor tell you?”

“To expect dizziness, headaches, nausea,” Jim grouses. “I’m going to have an _amazing_ summer.”

“At least your Master’s thesis is turned in and all you have to do is relax,” Winona reminds him, her tone sympathetic. “I’m sorry this happened, baby.”

Tears prick his eyes; he’s feeling crummy and he misses his mom. “I wish you were here,” he tells her quietly.

“If you need us, Dad and I can fly out.”

“I know,” Jim sighs. “I have Sammy and Spock and Nyota. And did Aurelan tell you what she did?”

Winona hums. “Sammy did,” she replies. “I think she’s been hanging out with our family too long.”

“She was such a sweet, innocent girl when they first met,” Jim agrees. “And now look at her: lying to the hospital, causing all sorts of trouble…”

His mom chuckles. “Aurelan is going to fit right in,” she tells her son.

“I really like her,” Jim says. “Not that I didn’t like her before, but you know…”

“I know,” Winona sighs, wistfully.

Jim rolls over to his side. “I should make them dinner or something; all four of them. Or maybe take them out for dinner,” he rambles.

“One thing at a time, cookie,” Winona reminds him. “First try standing up without the room spinning _and then_ do something nice for them.”

He hates it when she’s right.

 

* * *

 

The next day is pretty uneventful, except for the fact that Jim forgets to take his anti-nausea medication and ends up bogarting the bathroom for the better part of an hour.  

He’s pretty grumpy after that and allows Spock to baby him with various remedies such as tea or ginger ale. Jim takes his medication and curls up on the couch, where he listens to some documentary on marine life. Leonard’s number has been entered into his phone and he’s waiting for the opportune time to call him. He realizes that his paramour is a doctor and there will never be a good time, so Jim picks up his phone and sends him a text.

It’s a simple _thank you beary much for the teddy bear. Hope you’re having a good day_  text that proves to be a bit difficult to type. It would be awesome if he wasn’t seeing double or that the iPhone screen didn’t cause his head to throb. Jim wonders if he should call Spock out of his room for quality assurance, but he thinks that his best friend wouldn’t appreciate it.

A response comes forty-five minutes later and Jim swears that his heart leaps into his throat. He scrambles for his phone and has to squint at the screen because he has no fucking clue where his glasses are.

 _You’re beary welcome_ , it says and Jim grins like a loon. He is about to text back something that is equally adorable when Leonard calls him. “I was just responding to you,” Jim says by way of greeting.

“So that’s why my ears were ringing,” Leonard teases. Jim hears various hospital sounds in the background until a door shuts and it’s quiet. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Jim replies. “Thank you for the bear and your number.”

Leonard laughs and he decides it’s his favorite sound. “Well, I figured you owe me one for the shoes. How are you feeling?”

“According to my roommate, I was fairly petulant earlier,” Jim tells him as he sits up, albeit slowly, on the couch. “I’m doing much better now.”

“And I wonder why _that_ is,” Leonard quips, his drawl thick and making Jim’s blood burn. God, he hopes that the doctor _always_ sounds like that.

Jim’s grin widens into a smile. “So when can I take you out for dinner?”

“I thought it was coffee.”

“I changed my mind,” Jim tells him. “What do you like to eat?”

Leonard chuckles. “How about this: I’ll bring over some dinner and we’ll watch a movie,” he suggests.

“You watch, I'll listen,” Jim says. “But pizza sounds good.”

“Pizza?” Leonard gasps as if something offensive has been uttered. “You just got out of the hospital, kid! You’re eating something healthy…with vegetables!”

Jim wants to roll his eyes but he’s afraid of the consequences; dizziness and all that. “You can put vegetables on pizza,” he chimes in.

“You’re not allergic or disgusted by fish are you?” Leonard asks, pointedly ignoring Jim’s comment.

“No, why?”

“Just wondering is all,” the doctor replies as someone addresses Leonard as Dr. McCoy, signaling the end of their conversation. “Does Sunday work for you?”

“Yeah,” Jim says, having to check his phone calendar since he hasn’t a clue what day it is. As it turns out, Spock and Nyota are going to Sonoma for the day, so he’ll have the apartment to himself. “I’ll text you my address.”

Leonard is walking back into the fold by the sounds of it. “Well, hopefully, you text me more than just your address.”

“Maybe after our first date,” Jim promises before they each say goodbye and hang up.

He is staring at the screen of his phone, smiling so much that his face is starting to hurt. He misses Spock coming out into the living room/dining/kitchen area of their two-bed apartment and the confused look on his friend’s face.

Spock sits in the armchair beside the couch, head tilted and brows raised towards his hairline. “Are you in the middle of taking a self-portrait or what my intern calls a selfie?”

“Um no,” he replies, half lovesick. Jim turns to his friend, still grinning. He’s not going to mention to Spock that he has a date…with his doctor. “This week just got a lot better.”

Spock narrows his dark eyes at him and purses his lip. “Strange,” is all he says before turning back to the television.

 

* * *

 

He _eventually_ tells Spock about his date, who in turn tells Nyota.

She ends up telling her roommate, Gaila, who wants all of the dirt. “There is no dirt,” Jim huffs on Sunday morning. He’s just taken a shower and shaved off the four days’ worth of facial hair. His skin is pink, his hair is air drying, and he’s eating a bowl of cereal.

“You know Gaila,” Nyota says as she pours a cup of coffee into one of their many mugs. That’s all she has to say about her roommate.

Gaila is a formidable lady who enjoys a hearty beer, dancing until all hours and electronics. She works as an engineer (“But not for one of those shitty tech companies,” Gaila loves to say, casting a look of disdain at all of the Tweeters, Googlers, and EA yuppies who happen to be nearby) and is damn good at her job.

She also likes to make sure everyone is having as much fun as her and will go to any lengths necessary.

Jim sighs into his bowl. “Well,” he says, stirring his bowl of dry Cheerios. “If there is something to tell, she’ll be the first to know.”

Nyota glares at him.

“She’ll be the second to know,” Jim amends.

Nyota’s glare turns into a full-on frown.

“Third,” he says quickly. “Jesus, stop _that_! School is over, Ny! And you’re freaking me out!”

The frown melts into a smug grin. “That’s better,” Nyota chirps, bringing her coffee to her lips. “Thank you, Jim.”

Spock picks that moment to come into the room, all sleep rumpled and puffy-eyed. He sees his girlfriend’s expression, followed by Jim’s pursed lips and raises a quizzical brow.

Instead of attempting to figure out what has just transpired, he grabs a cup of coffee.

 

* * *

 

It’s five in the afternoon when the buzzer goes off.

Jim scurries from the couch to the door and rushes down to the lobby to let Leonard in. He sees Leonard's silhouette through the ripples of glass and swallows down the nervous butterflies in his stomach; he’s already seen Jim at his worst and still gave him his number even after he threw up on him.

“Hi,” Jim greets as he opens the door.

Damn Leonard looks good and it takes all the will in Jim’s body not to jump him right there. “Hi,” he replies, his lips twitching into a smile. His eyes are roaming over Jim, both clinically and appreciatively. “You look chipper.”

“I have something to be chipper about,” Jim tells him as he steps aside to let the other man by. He notices the paper bag tucked under Leonard’s arm, as well as a cloth bag in his other hand. “I can take one of those.”

Leonard hands him the lightest bag, the cloth one, and scopes out the lobby of Jim’s building as they walk towards the elevator. “How long have you lived here?”

“Four years,” Jim answers as he pushes a button. “Spock knew the previous tenant and we jumped on it; rent control, good location, and we didn’t have to commute from the Sunset. Are you in the city?”

“Yeah,” Leonard tells him just as the elevator comes down. He eyes it suspiciously, especially when Jim slides the door open. “In Noe…is this thing even legal?”

Jim steps inside, nodding. “It has updated permits, too,” he teases. He watches Leonard poke his head inside, uncertain about the elevator and reaches out to tug on his wrist. “I’ll hold your hand the entire way up.”

“Holding my hand will do nothing when we plummet to our deaths,” Leonard grouses. Once the door is shut and the elevator is moving, he continues despite Jim’s chuckling. “See how you like it when a cable breaks and we smash our bones to pieces. The rescue workers will have to scrape us off the floor.”

Jim bites his lip, nostrils flaring and tries desperately to contain his laughter. “These things are pretty safe,” he assures. It comes tumbling out of his mouth in broken laughter, earning a glare from Leonard. “Don’t worry, Bones, I gotcha.”

“Bones?” Leonard questions when they safely arrive on Jim’s floor.

He nods. “That whole bit about breaking bones,” he explains as he leads the doctor to his apartment. “It’s a good nickname.”

“What’s wrong with my given name?”

Jim is leaning against his front door and smirks. “It’s a mouthful,” he replies with frivolity.

He half expects Leonard to argue the point with him, but the doctor surprises him once they’re inside the apartment. “I’ll show you a mouthful,” he grumbles as he starts to unpack the paper bag. One of his brows is arched and Jim spies a dimple forming by Leonard’s mouth.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean,” Jim says quietly. Leonard just smiles and it turns his knees into jelly.

As it turns out, Leonard has brought over an assortment of sushi, hence the question about fish. There are maki rolls, sashimi, edamame, miso soup, and gyoza. The cloth bag has sauces and a six-pack of ginger ale.

Dinner is pleasant and filled with conversation; he finds out that Leonard is an only child and originally from Georgia. He went to the University of Mississippi for his undergraduate studies and then for medical school.

“Just outside of Savannah,” Leonard explains. “My parents still live there; my daddy has a private practice. What about you? Are you from San Francisco?”

Jim is in the middle of eating a salmon roll and shakes his head. “I was born in Rome, actually,” he says through a mouthful of rice and fish. “Italy.”

“I _know_ where Rome is,” Leonard sighs as he picks up a piece of sashimi with chopsticks. He has a dexterity that Jim lacks.

He chews on the remnants of food in his mouth and gulps down some of his ginger ale. “I was raised on a farm,” Jim replies. “My parents are in the Air Force. They didn’t want Sam and me to be military brats, so after I was born, they took postings in Iowa. My dad’s family owns a farm in Riverside and that’s where I grew up.”

Leonard makes a face before leaning forward to wipe a bit of soy sauce that clings to Jim’s chin. “Hell boy, where you raised in a barn?”

The close proximity is making the blood in Jim’s ears roar. “It has a barn, a red one,” he whispers.

Leonard smirks. “Oh does it now?”

“Yeah,” Jim replies, inching a bit closer. He can feel the heat of Leonard’s breath against his skin and smell his aftershave. “I want to kiss you.”

A pair of lips brush against his own and it takes Jim a moment to realize that Leonard is doing just that. His tongue is slick and hot against Jim’s mouth as it seeks a way inside, flicking gently while the doctor’s hand cups his face. He moans, parting his lips and finding Leonard’s tongue before deepening the kiss.

Jim grasps Leonard’s shoulder, rubbing the joint through the material of his shirt. He can taste their dinner, the sweet tang of ginger ale, and something else. Something that makes Jim want to seek more. If he’s honest with himself, he wants all of Leonard. He wants the other man’s skin under his mouth and tongue, to feel his body move as Jim makes his way down ever so slowly. He wants to see how their bodies look pressed together and what makes Leonard tick.

They part to breathe, both of them flushed.

The doctor’s fingers are at the hem of Jim’s shirt, barely touching skin.

“I really want you,” Jim sputters, earning a peculiar stare from Leonard. “Like… _really_ want you, but me and any sort of forward movement, we’re not on good terms at the moment. I mean, I even feel sick in the bathtub.”

“Oh,” Leonard says, his mind catching up. He gestures to his head. “Nausea, concussions; I get it.”

Jim nods, flushing in embarrassment. “But kissing is fine,” he adds quickly. “Kissing is more than fine.”

“Okay,” the doctor replies with a smile. He’s coming back for seconds and Jim _does not_ mind at all. “I can do kissing.”

They end up kissing on the floor of the living room for another two hours, only breaking to clean up their dinner, and resume once they are in Jim’s bedroom. Both of their lips are red and swollen by the time he and Leonard fall asleep on his bed, wrapped up in each other and still wearing their jeans.

It really doesn’t matter though because Jim wakes up to Leonard’s sleeping face and the smell of him on his sheets. Leonard’s arm is wrapped around his waist and he’s snoring softly, which is completely adorable.

Jim notices that his bedroom door is open a crack and there is a pair of brown eyes staring at him before it quickly shuts because Nyota is a _peeping fucking tom_ and can’t mind her own business.

“Ugh,” Jim mumbles, burrowing into his pillow.

The arm around his waist tightens its grip and Leonard snuffs. “Go back to sleep, darlin’,” he drawls tiredly as he pulls him closer.

It’s the first time Jim’s listened to anyone besides his parents.

 

* * *

 

So Jim _really_ likes dating Leonard.

He usually hates the whole getting to know you process because it’s awkward and tedious and Jim isn’t entirely sure how to reciprocate. It’s fun with Leonard, who tells him about what it was like growing up in the South; about his huge extended family and how he was the youngest of his cousins, his mother’s peach cobbler, and summers at his grandparent’s cabin. He speaks about how much he loves and admires his parents, especially his father who is a retired pediatrician back in Georgia.

“I bet you scowled as a baby,” Jim teases as they walk hand-in-hand down a neighborhood block filled with converted Victorians that are now apartments or condos.

Leonard, of course, scowls and squeezes his hand in mock warning before pulling Jim into a kiss.

That’s another thing: Jim _really_ likes kissing him. He savors the press of Leonard’s lips against his own and the way his tongue seeks out his with little flicks and rolls. He likes that the other man will nibble or tug on his lower lips with a growl and the way he brushes his knuckles against Jim’s face.

“Whatcha thinking about, darlin’?” Leonard asks when he pulls back. His cheeks are rosy and seem to go with his glassy eyes.

Jim shrugs. “Where are you taking me now?”

“Well,” Leonard drawls as he digs into his jacket pocket. He pulls out a set of what Jim can only guess are house keys, complete with a University of Mississippi keychain. “My apartment is up those stairs.”

He realizes that they are standing in front of a tastefully painted building with three stories. They’ve been at Jim’s place plenty of times and he suspects that Leonard’s waited to bring him back to his for a special occasion. “Is everything all cleaned up so I don’t know what a slob you are?” Jim teases.

“Not everyone is a neat freak like you and Spock,” Leonard retorts as they start ascending the front steps.

Jim doesn’t refute this comment and instead wraps an arm around Leonard’s shoulder. The entire unit belongs to him and is filled with antiques, much to Jim’s surprise once his eyes have adjusted to the light.

“Wow,” he says as he hands his jacket to Leonard. He wanders around, searching through his date’s belongings.

“Wow?”

“Yeah,” Jim replies, taking in the white walls, high ceilings, and dark wooden floors. “I kind of imagined you in one of those places in SoMa. With the sleek interiors and windows everywhere, but this place suits you.”

Leonard chuckles at Jim’s assessment as he puts their jackets into a closet by the staircase. “I’m pleased to hear that,” he says.

“I didn’t peg you for an antique collector,” Jim comments as he ventures passed an old secretary’s desk that is being used a breakfront table.

“I like old things,” the doctor answers.

Jim cocks his head and smirks. “Are you sure about that?” he quips, wagging his brows.

“Shut it, kid,” Leonard retorts despite the grin twitching at the corners of his lips. “Do you want anything? Water, bourbon?”

He is on his way into the living room and shakes his head. “I’m good,” he replies absently as Jim takes in the numerous volumes of ancient medical textbooks and instruments.

It’s comfortable to be in Leonard’s space for the first time; the entire apartment feels as if Jim’s been hanging out here for more than five minutes.

“See anything you like?” Leonard whispers into the shell of his ear. His voice is lower, huskier, and it sends a shiver down Jim’s spine. He is pressed up against the younger man’s backside, his hands ghosting his body and it’s then that Jim realizes that he's being seduced.

Not that they haven’t done things when Leonard’s been over; hand jobs and heavy make-out sessions. “I’d like to see your bedroom,” he announces, leaning into Leonard.

He gets spun around and kissed; the kind of kiss that is a prelude to bigger and better things. Leonard is practically devouring him as he leads Jim by the hips towards his bedroom. Jim’s hands snake up the back of Leonard’s shirt, touching warm skin and deciding that it needs to come off. He pulls at the article of clothing, raising it over Leonard’s torso and breaking the kiss to get it off his body. It lands somewhere near the stairs or maybe the kitchen, not that he really cares as Jim rakes his fingernails over Leonard’s bare back and shoulders.

“Fuck,” he murmurs into the other man’s lips. He wants to lick and nibble on his skin, god, he wants to do _everything_ he can think of to make Leonard come apart.

They fall on the bed, kicking off shoes and socks. Once his pants land on the floor, Jim straddles Leonard’s thighs. He presses erratic, open mouth kisses on his neck while shaking fingers are attacking the button on Leonard’s jeans. Jim feels it come loose and he begins to make his way down the other man’s body.

His tongue plays along Leonard’s collarbones before seeking out his nipples. Jim slinks down his body so he can watch the doctor’s face and flicks a nipple. He glances up to see Leonard’s head tilted and his jaw slack. Eyelashes are pressing against the top of the older man’s cheekbones and Jim hears a whine come out of Leonard’s mouth.

He tongues the nub to hardness as the doctor squirms under his mouth, delighting in the taste of Leonard’s skin. Jim moves to the other nipple, but not before sucking a bruise into the older man’s sternum. He goes through the same motions as he rubs its twin with his thumb.

Jim moves his mouth lower, feeling the way Leonard’s body moves and reacts to him. He wets the line of hair that goes from his navel and disappears under the waistband of his underwear. Jim starts removing Leonard’s jeans and underwear at a snail’s pace; he wants to make sure that he worships enough of the other man’s physique before he’s too fucked out to remember.

“Jim,” Leonard moans as his erection springs free of its confines.

He always likes this part, when he drinks in the sight of Leonard’s cock; the ruddy silken length that’s the amount of girth Jim enjoys, surrounded by dark pubic hair. It’s perfect like the rest of Leonard. Jim takes Leonard into his mouth, relishing the weight of it on his tongue and starts getting to work. He tongues the glans, making sure to tease the vein right under the head, and uses his hand to stroke whatever is not in his mouth.

Leonard is all moans and curses as his fingers dip into Jim’s hair and clutch it. His body vibrates against Jim’s like he’s trying really hard not to thrust into Jim’s mouth. Not that he would exactly mind having the doctor fuck his face, but he has other ideas in mind for the evening.

And apparently so does Leonard as he lightly pulls on his hair. “C’mere,” he intones, dragging Jim into his lap.

They are kissing before he has a chance to do anything and it’s time for him to moan as the doctor’s hands cup and squeeze his ass.

Jim wraps his arms around Leonard’s neck and rolls his hips slowly. “God,” he groans as they inch up the bed. “I want you.”

“You’ll get me,” Leonard promises him as he reaches towards his bedside table. He fumbles with the drawer and its contents before pulling out a condom and a bottle of lube. Jim nibbles on his neck as the doctor uncaps the bottle and pours a good amount onto his fingers.

Those fingers make their way to Jim’s crack, skirting and teasing until he feels them against his hole. He stutters a breath and tenses his arms.

“That okay?” the doctor asks, pausing his movements.

Jim nods and tilts Leonard’s chin. “Keep going,” he whispers before kissing him.

Being prepped by a doctor, especially an incredibly hot one, is quickly rising to the top of Jim’s list. Leonard knows where every sweet spot lies and is sure to tease them with each pass of his fingers.

His underwear has become damp in the front by the time three fingers are pumping in and out of his ass. Jim trembles in Leonard’s embrace and whines incoherently into his mouth, rutting against the doctor when his fingers find his prostate.

“Please,” Jim begs, pushing back onto Leonard’s hand. “Please… _fuck_ , please.”

He chuckles and nips at the younger man’s bottom lip. “I gotcha, darlin’,” the doctor says, slowly easing his fingers out.

He keeps Jim in his lap, dexterously kicking off his remaining clothes before he puts the condom on and adds a generous coat of lube. For a moment, he thinks that Leonard is going to flip them over so that Jim’s pressed into the mattress. Leonard nudges him upward, assisting in the removal of his precum stained boxer briefs. “I want you to ride me,” Leonard growls into his ear.

It takes everything for Jim not to cum right then and there. He lines himself up with Leonard’s cock and slowly sinks down, gasping at the stretch and burn. Taking all of Leonard inside him is a process that leaves Jim shaking in pleasure.

Leonard’s hands are on his hips, alternatively clutching and stroking them as Jim waits a moment before he starts moving. His movements are tentative at first, just in case nausea decides to rear its ugly head, but after a few moments, Jim is pleased to find that he’s in the clear and can go about fucking Leonard’s brains out.

Everything becomes second nature and each motion compliments the other. The rhythm is slow because Jim wants to drag this out; he’s been waiting ever since he laid eyes on Leonard in the triage room. Besides, they have all night to go fast and make the headboard bang against the wall.

Their mouths are pressed together and the slide of Leonard’s cock inside of him is just right. Jim doesn’t realize that his orgasm is close until it’s pulsing through his body and he can’t stop it. He moans, using a hand to grip the headboard as he rides it out. Leonard’s hand wraps itself around his dick to stroke him through his release before he flips them over so effortlessly that Jim doesn’t realize he’s on his back until Leonard’s face is hovering above his.

Leonard leans down and nibbles his way into the younger man’s mouth. Hands are holding Jim’s legs up and Leonard’s hips are moving faster, giving the younger man’s overstimulated prostate a sweet battering.

“Bones,” Jim gasps into Leonard’s mouth like a litany.

Leonard cums with a final thrust that makes the younger man see stars, perhaps a supernova, behind his closed lids, almost like before when he bashed his head against the desk. It's different this time; there's no pain for one thing and he feels like he's flying. Leonard releases Jim’s legs after a few moments and guides them to the mattress before withdrawing from his body.

Both of them are panting, sweating messes and spend the next few minutes catching their breaths in each other’s arms. Leonard huffs into Jim’s neck, then lifts his head. His hair is damp and sticking to his forehead in clumps while his cheeks are flushed.

It is Jim’s humble opinion that Leonard has never looked better.

 

* * *

 

He notices two things when he wakes up in the morning: first, Jim is alone in bed and second, the godly smell of bacon is wafting through the air.

Stretching like a cat with his palms pressed against the headboard and his toes pointed, Jim yawns. His muscles ache in a good way; the kind that signifies great sex and resonates through his entire body.

Jim decides to shower before he ventures out to Leonard’s kitchen. His skin is sticky and there is dried cum on his stomach. Also, he’s pretty sure his bedhead resembles a mad scientist than being sexy. He stumbles out of bed with his glasses in hand and is about to pick up his discarded underwear when he notices a pair of boxers and a faded University of Mississippi t-shirt laying on the bed. “Such a gentleman,” Jim whispers to himself as he picks them up and heads to the bathroom.

He emerges smelling like Leonard’s shampoo and body wash and _perhaps_ his Old Spice deodorant. Jim is pulling the t-shirt over his head when he comes into the kitchen, grinning at the sight of the doctor standing in front of the stove with a spatula in one hand.

Leonard seems to be off in his own little world and doesn’t notice that Jim’s awake until the younger man wraps his arms around his waist. He leans into the embrace and goes to nuzzle his cheek. “Morning,” he says.

“Morning,” Jim replies, kissing Leonard’s temple. It seems that the doctor has also taken a shower since his hair is still damp when it brushes against the younger man’s lips. “Was I supposed to lounge in bed while you made us breakfast?”

Leonard’s dimples appear as he smiles. “I doubt we’d eat as much as we’d do other things.”

“Or maybe we’d do that those things _while_ eating,” Jim suggests, wagging his brows.

“Infant,” the doctor grumbles, shaking his head. He uses the spatula to lift several pieces of bacon off the pan and onto a plate covered with a paper towel. “We’ll get to those things later, but first, I need to scramble us some eggs.”

Jim allows Leonard to wiggle free of his arms and watches as he goes to the refrigerator. He’s wearing a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt that fits snugly across his shoulders. There is no doubt in his mind fabric is covering love bites and the thought makes him smile.

They had sex later in the night, much to Leonard’s neighbors’ annoyance. As predicted, the headboard slapped repeatedly against the wall, though it wasn’t nearly enough to drown out the sounds either man was making.

“What are you grinning about?” Leonard asks as he brushes past Jim with a carton of eggs.

He flushes a bit and manages a nonchalant shrug. “Nothing important.”

“Uh huh,” the doctor replies. He turns off the stove and turns to the younger man, cornering him against the island counter. Leonard removes his glasses and sets them down as his mouth finds a tender spot on Jim’s neck. “Nothing important, you say?”

Jim just groans as the doctor’s mouth sucks on the spot with his tongue and his hands squeeze his ass cheeks. He jerks at the sensation, digging his nails into the countertop. “Just thinking about your shoulders,” he whispers.

“My shoulders?” There is the drag of teeth and pressure of a slick tongue. “Thinkin’ about those hickeys, aren’t you darlin’?” Leonard’s lips move to his earlobe to lick it. “Don’t think I don’t know they’re there or that I didn’t realize you were doing it.”

Jim quirks a smile. “It wasn’t like you were complaining.”

“Because I wasn’t,” the doctor attests. “You and that mouth of yours, so greedy and ready for whatever I give you.”

He shivers because _goddamn_. Jim tilts his head and catches Leonard’s mouth against his in a hungry kiss, not caring if breakfast will be cold or that his ass will most _definitely_ be sore by the time he returns to his apartment.

It doesn’t matter because Leonard is pulling off his shirt while simultaneously guiding him towards the kitchen table. His hands are all over his back, caressing the exposed skin he finds and turning Jim into a sex-crazed mess. His boxers come off next, along with the doctor’s own clothing. A condom and a packet of lube appear next to Jim’s thigh, which he suspects were hidden in the pajama bottoms.

He ends up bent over with Leonard’s hands on his hips.

And sex on a kitchen table? It’s pretty damn hot.

 

* * *

 

 

They’ve been seeing each other for a little over a month and a half when Jim finds a few articles of Leonard’s clothing mixed in with his.

Now, some people would be sent into panic mode (like his last relationship, John, who flipped out and dumped Jim unceremoniously while shoving a paper bag of his things into his arms—not that he’s bitter), but it sends a curling warmth through his body instead.

He’s folding laundry and brings Leonard’s t-shirt to his face, inhaling the smell of the dryer sheets Jim uses. Leonard’s fading scent has mixed itself in there as well.

“Someone’s smitten,” Gaila comments as she flops down on Jim’s bed. She, Nyota, and Spock have just gotten back from the DeYoung.

Jim wiggles his nose to conceal his grin. “I’m just making sure it’s clean,” he tells her as he folds the shirt and sets it down on top of a pile of finished laundry.

“Right,” she says. Gaila twirls a lock of flaming red hair around her index finger and grins. “So tell me how he is.”

“How who is?”

Gaila huffs in annoyance. “Leonard! How is he in bed? Nyota told me that she heard you guys the other night when she was getting some water.” She arches a brow and smirks. “So? Spill! I want details, Kirk!”

“Jesus,” Jim groans, shaking his head. He’s not really one to divulge the ongoings of his sex life, though the incident that Gaila is referring to makes him flush.

“Ooohh,” Gaila teases. “He must be good! You’re blushing like a school girl! Just look at _you_.”

He doesn’t want to because Sam has already pointed how moony-eyed Leonard makes him. And it’s true, he’s pretty far gone on this guy. “Stop it,” Jim grumbles.

“Look at you and your hot doctor boyfriend!” Gaila squeals. She pokes him in his side, right where he’s ticklish.

Jim glares at her. “He’s not my boyfriend,” he tells her.

“He’s not?”

“No.”

Gaila frowns and seems to ponder this new bit of information. “Are either of you seeing other people?”

“Nope,” Jim replies as he continues folding laundry.

“You guys are always spending your free time together,” Gaila points out, to which Jim nods. “Doesn’t he have a set of keys?”

He sighs, shooting her a dirty look. “What’s your point, G?”

“It’s weird,” Gaila comments. “Have either of you brought it up?”

Jim shakes his head. “No,” he says. Then he starts to get worried. “Why?”

“How long have you two been seeing each other? Like a month?”

“A bit over, but…” Jim gets a stricken look on his face. “Oh god, this is like John Harrison all over again!”

Gaila shakes her head adamantly. “No! No, Jim!” she urges. “Nothing could be anything like _that_ clusterfuck. And Leonard isn’t a pompous asshole. He _actually_ likes you!”

“You are _so not_ helping!” he shrieks, then face plants onto his bed. His phone goes off and of course, it’s Leonard’s ringtone. Jim grabs the phone off his pillow and picks it up with a gruff hello.

“You sound upset, darlin’,” the doctor says. “Everything okay?”

Jim lifts his head up and groans. “Gaila is giving me a headache,” he tells him, earning a sock to the face. “Save me, please.”

Leonard laughs at the younger man’s dramatics, which wouldn’t be so funny if he’d ever met Gaila. “As it turns out, I’m down the block from you,” he says.

“Please tell me you’re calling so I can come meet you,” Jim begs as a t-shirt is hurled at him. He ducks out of the way and sits on the floor of his room, hidden by his bed. “For the love of God, don’t leave me here with Gaila!”

“Hey!” the person in question yells.

Leonard snorts. “I’m at Hemlock,” he replies. “And I have a surprise for you.”

This piques Jim’s interest and he rushes out of his apartment while Gaila tries to find out where he’s headed. He knows her well enough that she’ll probably ambush him, then embarrasses the hell out of him so that he’ll never show his face around Leonard again.

He arrives at the bar and easily locates Leonard, who is ordering drinks. Jim slides up next to him and wraps an arm around his shoulders. “Do you know where a pretty face can get a drink?” he asks.

Leonard chuckles and kisses him gently. “It just so happens that I do,” he replies, before nudging the person next to him. “Hendorff, you know Jim.”

Much to his surprise, it’s the orderly who helped clean him up during Jim’s first night in the hospital.

Hendorff gives him a friendly smile and extends his hand. “Nice to see you again,” he says. “How’s the head?”

“Better, thanks,” Jim tells him as the bartender sets down several bottles of beer. “Do you need help with those?”

Hendorff nods and grabs some of the bottles. “This way,” he says to Jim.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Leonard assures as he pays for the drinks. “What do you want?”

Jim, who now has his hands filled, replies. “Whatever you’re having,” he grins. “I’m not picky.”

He’s about to follow Hendorff when Leonard tugs on one of his belt loops. He is pulled into the doctor’s embrace, where he spies a wicked grin before being kissed.

It doesn’t matter that they are standing in the middle of a bar or that Leonard’s friends can see; the noise and music are drowned out and all Jim is aware of is the press of the doctor’s lips and the slide of his tongue.

“Was that my surprise?” he inquires when they break apart, both of them all starry-eyed and dazed.

Leonard shakes his head. “Later,” he says, his drawl curling over the word seductively. He taps Jim on his flank. “Now git.”

“When you start sounding all Southern, it makes it hard to follow orders,” Jim teases as he goes off to find Hendorff.

Hendorff waves him over to a table with a few more of the doctor’s friends. Jim sets the beers down and is quickly introduced to everyone. Geoff M’Benga is another doctor and someone who’s known Leonard since college. Christine is the white-blonde haired nurse from triage, who Jim vaguely recalls, and Roger is her husband and is not a doctor. Janice is another nurse who works in the pediatrics unit and takes a special interest in Jim since he also works with kids.

Leonard slips an arm around his waist and slides a beer in front of him. “Are these people bothering you?”

“Nah,” Jim replies.

Janice rolls her eyes at Leonard. “We were just talking about your boyfriend’s job as a teacher,” she says as she picks the label off her beer bottle.

Jim freezes mid-sip at the word _boyfriend_. His eyes shift to Leonard, waiting to hear him correct his friend or to blow it off entirely.

“Well hopefully the kids won’t attack my boyfriend this year,” Leonard replies, lifting his beer to his lips. His thumb rubs against Jim’s sleeve.

Geoff and Janice look confused. “Come again?” asks Geoff.

“He was jumped by a gang of four-year-olds,” Leonard says.

Jim scoffs. “First of all, I was _pushed_ and it was _two_ six-year-olds!” he retorts, nudging Leonard in the ribs much to everyone’s amusement.

 

* * *

 

He and Leonard are _definitely not_ sober as they shuffle into the men’s room at the next bar. 

The bathroom is more like a stall and the doctor grumbles that a “porta-potty is bigger than this germ infested hole” when they shut the door. Both of them are laughing and pressed up against each other for support. Leonard’s cheeks are flushed and Jim is pretty sure his entire face (and possibly neck) is stoplight red.

The door to the bathroom is locked and he decides to nibble on the doctor’s neck, tasting the salt on his skin. “So boyfriend, huh?” Jim comments.

“What do you think about it, darlin’?” Leonard asks, leaning back so they are looking at each other. He intertwines their fingers and brings them to his mouth, kissing each of Jim’s fingers. “Being my boyfriend?”

Jim tries to be nonchalant about it but ends up grinning when he shrugs. “I think it works,” he says, bringing Leonard’s mouth closer to his. “What about you?”

“It sounds nice,” he replies as he closes the distance between them.

It’s all lips, teeth, and tongue from that point until Jim squeezes Leonard’s ass. A shiver goes through his newly minted boyfriend’s body and he breaks the kiss with a devious smirk. “Do you want to see your surprise?”

“Um…yes,” Jim answers. He watches as Leonard unbuckles his belt and goes to unfasten his jeans, pulling them down slowly. “Why, doctor, you want to have public sex in this dump?”

Leonard snorts, bending over the sink with his jeans lingering around his thighs. His underwear is still on and goddammit, he has a nice ass. “Take a look,” he tells Jim.

He’s so game for whatever Leonard has up his sleeve and situates himself right behind him. Jim drags the underwear over the doctor’s skin. For some unfair reason, Leonard is still all golden and tanned and perfect despite living in San Francisco for five years; it’s whatever because Jim is the one who gets to see said body.

As he reveals the curve of Leonard’s ass, Jim sees his surprise nestled in the cleft of the doctor’s cheeks; a simple black plug. If Jim wasn’t already hard, he sure as fuck would be now. He sputters and swallows, trying to think of something witty to say.

Words fail him and he’s sucking Leonard’s face off before realizing that hey—they’re in a _fucking bathroom_ and that the liquid on the floor near the toilet is probably not water.

“We need to leave,” Jim hisses. He starts pulling the doctor’s clothing back up with clumsy hands. “Like seriously, we need to go back to my apartment _right now_.”

They leave the bar in a flurry of hurried goodbyes and rushing to the Lyft that Leonard called to take them back to Jim’s place. It’s a miracle that they manage not to make out in the back seat and can save it for the elevator.

“Jesus,” Jim groans as he presses his body against Leonard’s. “How the hell did you walk around with that thing?”

His boyfriend squeezes his erection through his jeans. “Practice,” he whispers into Jim’s ear.

If they weren’t so close to Jim’s apartment and had condoms and lube, he’d fuck Leonard right in the elevator. “Shit,” he moans.

Neither of them has ever been happier to arrive at Jim’s front door. They come barreling into the apartment and find that Nyota, Spock, and Gaila are hanging around the television, staring at them like they two heads.

“Hello,” his roommate greets.

Jim grabs Leonard’s hand and drags him off to his bedroom. “Can’t talk now,” he shouts over his shoulder before slamming the door shut. He may or may not lock it, but honestly, it doesn’t matter. Jim is practically ripping off Leonard’s clothing as well as his own between fevered kisses and curses.

“Maybe we should have gone to my place,” Leonard says as they scramble up the bed.

He’s grabbing a condom and lube when Jim shakes his head. “Do you _really_ want to ride across town with a butt plug inside you? On _Gough_?”

“No,” Leonard replies, grabbing the condom and tearing open the foil. He rolls it down Jim’s cock. “Not really.”

“Thank god,” Jim groans. He’s uncapping the lube and pouring some onto his fingers while his boyfriend is removing the plug. He gulps at the sight of Leonard’s slick hole, all ready for him to slide into. “Get on your side.”

He knows that his living room has three people sitting in it and that the walls of his apartment are made of plaster and sound carries, but when Jim slides into Leonard he cannot suppress his moan. He drops his head against the older man’s shoulder, pressing his mouth against it.

“Fuck, _fuck_ , Jesus Christ,” he mutters hotly.

Leonard is caught between chuckling and moaning. He tenses around Jim’s cock as he reaches around to pull him by the nape of his neck to drag him into a kiss.

The idea is a good one, but it does nothing in helping them keep quiet. Also, the angle is awkward and it hinders the forward motion of Jim’s hips as he thrusts deeply.

He kind of wishes he bothered with buying a headboard.

And that Leonard was better at keeping quiet. Not that he normally minds that his boyfriend is vocal in bed and that the sounds he makes are fucking hot, but there are people in the living room.

Gaila is probably listening to them with a cup pressed against the wall, the pervert.

Whatever—it’s totally worth the delayed annoyance because Leonard’s ass is so tight, so slick, and so amazing around Jim’s dick. Like he was made to be in there.

His thrusts become erratic while the doctor’s moans become more constant. “Jim,” Leonard pants as he pushes back against him. It’s a warning that he’s close and the doctor’s hand is now fisting his dick in time with Jim’s hips.

“Shh,” he hushes, pressing his mouth against Leonard’s. Jim is right there too and can’t wait for the grand finale, which will be grand and mind-blowing. “If you can be quiet, I’ll make it up to you later.”

Leonard nods desperately and releases a muffled cry against the younger man’s lips as his semen slips over his fist. At the first flutter of his boyfriend’s passage, Jim loses control and fills the condom while moaning loudly and he and Leonard collapse against each other.

“You’re going to give me a heart attack,” the doctor slurs once they’ve waded through the aftershocks and can actually form coherent words.

Jim shakes his head in agreement, not caring if his hair is plastered to Leonard’s sweaty shoulder. He manages to remove the condom and toss it into his trash bin. His body feels like Jell-O and he doesn’t want to move. “So you’re saying we can do that again? Like tonight?”

“Infant,” Leonard chastises as he turns around and pulls Jim to his chest. “I may have to surprise you more often.”

He can’t disagree with that.

“Can we order some take out?” the doctor adds. “I’m drunk _and_ hungry.”

After much bickering, they end up ordering a pizza that’s one-half vegetarian and the other half a meat lover’s delight before planning their path to the bathroom for a cursory cleanup. When Jim opens the door, he finds the apartment gloriously empty and Gaila-less.

Jim convinces Leonard to forgo the bathroom so he can fuck the doctor over the back of the couch. It’s definitely worth it.

 

* * *

 

 

Once his summer vacation comes to an end, Jim and Leonard have gotten their routine figured out. 

They each have keys into the other’s apartment, alternating between the two. Sometimes they are at Leonard’s, especially when he’s had a long shift or surgery, and Jim has dinner ready for him. Those nights, the doctor is dead on his feet and not much for company. They eat quietly on the living room couch with the television on as white noise. While Jim clears away the plates, Leonard takes a shower and stumbles into bed to pass out. He follows, of course, and curls up next to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around Leonard as he snores quietly.

Other times they are at Jim’s and in bed as he works on his thesis and the doctor reads a book. Leonard will press a gentle peck to his temple and ruffle his hair, muttering, “Don’t study too hard, darlin’” before going back to his reading.

Then there are the nights where they go out on a date; dinner, a movie, beers in a sports bar.

Regardless of where they are, Jim finds himself becoming more enamored with his boyfriend. Everything Leonard does makes his stomach flutter with those pesky butterflies or has his heart skipping several beats at a time.

And the sex; well Jim is _never_ going to complain about sex with his boyfriend. _Ever_.

He marvels about how compatible they are together and wants this relationship to last…forever, the rest of Jim’s life.

Hell, even Jim’s parents like him! George is historically hard to impress and can be quite gruff and scary with all his military bravado. Winona is the exact opposite; always warm and welcoming. They unofficially meet Leonard via a Skype call, where he charms Jim’s parents with his Southern manners and makes Jim swoon even more.

“So what time does your open house end?” Leonard asks over a carton of General Tso’s Chicken.

They are standing in the doctor’s kitchen and not bothering with plates. Or respectable attire for that matter; Leonard is standing in a pair of worn-in sweats and Jim is naked, much to his boyfriend’s irritated amusement.

It’s only reasonable to forgo clothes if one has finished having sex with their hot doctor boyfriend just as the delivery guy buzzed the front door.

“I think around eight,” Jim replies as he gets to work on a forkful of noodles. “It shouldn’t be any later than that. Why do you ask?”

Leonard scoffs and gestures towards his bare ass that’s pressed against a cabinet. “No butt cheeks on the counter!”

“My butt is nowhere near the counter,” the younger man argues, smirking at the frown on his boyfriend’s face.

“ _Jim_ …” the doctor warns, arching a brow in a comical fashion.

He gives Leonard his most winning smile. “Yes, Bones?”

That earns an eye roll and Leonard calling him an infant before he goes back to his food. Jim snorts into his noodles until his eyes tear up and he has to put his carton down to wipe them. So what if his boyfriend is still muttering insults under his breath or that Leonard has a fork he could stab him with?

“Do you want me to come over after?” Jim asks once he’s composed himself. “It’ll be about nine by the time I get here.”

His boyfriend thinks about it while they eat, probably going through his schedule by the looks of it. Jim can see the vein in the middle of his forehead bulging under the skin ever so slightly.

In the end, Leonard sighs, shaking his head. “I have to be up early,” he says, poking his fork at his chicken. “Meeting with my lawyer to go over final paperwork.”

“Lawyer?” Jim questions, eyes widening. “Is everything okay?”

Leonard shrugs. “Yeah, just signing my divorce papers tomorrow,” he explains between bites. “It’s about damn time too; this whole thing has dragged out long enough.”

“Um…” Jim stutters, truly dumbfounded. “ _You_ were _married_?”

“I told you this.”

Jim shakes his head as he sets down his carton. He crosses his arms protectively over his chest and leans against the counter, butt cheeks be damned. “No, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did.”

He purses his lips together. “No, you _definitely_ did not,” Jim retorts as calmly as possible. “I’m pretty sure I would have remembered an ex-husband, concussion or not.”

“Ex-wife,” Leonard adds. He is going to eat more when he catches the expression of complete and utter shock on Jim’s face. “What? Stop looking at me like that!”

Jim opens and shuts his mouth several times before he squawks, “You have an _ex-wife_?” He ignores how shrill and angry he sounds because what the ever-loving _fuck_? Before Leonard can say anything, Jim is already cutting in. “You _never_ told me _any_ of this! All of the sudden you’re signing divorce papers and you were married to a woman? What the hell, Bones!”

“I told you I was bi,” Leonard snarls.

“No, you most certainly did not!” Jim hisses.

“Yes, I did!”

Jim throws his hands up in the air. “When? When I had my brains leaking out of my ears in a hospital bed? Oh hey, Mr. Kirk, you have a concussion and by the way, I’m fucking _bisexual_ and getting a divorce! Was that when you told me?”

“Why are you acting like it’s the end of the damn universe?” Leonard shouts, his face has lines of anger and is starting to turn red. “So what? I forgot to tell you until everything was finalized! Big fucking deal, Jim!”

He balls his fists and for the first time in Jim’s life, he’s actually seeing red. Like variations of the color and it’s _everywhere_. “You should have told me that I was your post-divorce experiment before I started having feelings for you,” Jim yells, not caring that it’s going to make his throat hurt. He charges passed Leonard, taking a moment to pause at the door. “And I don’t mean feelings for your cock.”

Jim hears the clatter of metal one of the countertops followed by footfalls on the wooden floors. He’s grabbing his boxers and jeans, which are tucked into each other, and hastily pulling them on when Leonard comes into the bedroom.

“You’re not a post-divorce experiment, Jim!” his boyfriend argues. “I’ve slept with other men before Jocelyn.”

Just hearing her name makes his blood roil; she hasn’t done anything to him except being married (and now divorced) to Leonard. “I’m _really_ happy for you,” he snaps. He can’t find his fucking socks and it’s making him rage all the more.

“Do not take that tone with me,” Leonard growls. “Don’t act like I’m different because I wasn’t specific about my sexual orientation…”

“…or your life before I came along to vomit all over your loafers?” Jim yells. He is done yanking his shoes on and now has to find his thermal, thinking that he ought to make a mental note the next time he’s being undressed. “And for the record, you _are_ different because you never told _me_!”

He finds the thermal near the foot of the dresser, bunched up and wrinkled when Leonard says, “Well, you shouldn’t have assumed.”

“Well _excuse me_ for not being a fucking mind reader!” Jim snaps. He pulls the thermal over his head so roughly that he’s almost certain that there’s now a hole in the armpit.

Leonard rubs his forehead. “I never said you were,” he grumbles as Jim leaves the room. He follows him, of course. “Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving,” Jim announces as he grabs his coat and pulls it on.

“ _Jim_ ,” the doctor sighs, exasperated. “Just come into the kitchen and calm down for a moment so I can explain.”

He shakes his head as his fingers finish with the last button and starts down the stairs to the front door.

“Goddammit!” Leonard yells at him. “You’re acting like one of your students right now! If you’d just come back…”

Jim is about to turn the knob when Leonard basically calls him a child and pauses. Nostrils flared and a string of curses on his tongue, he turns around and swallows. Jim wishes that Leonard didn’t look so damn handsome standing at the top of the stairs or that he didn’t have the feelings that he has for him. “I think you’ve explained _enough_.”

With that, he leaves.

In retrospect, Jim is amazed that he manages to get to his apartment, into his shower even, before he bursts into tears. He fumes during the ride back to his apartment and stares out into the foggy evening as the cab drives on Franklin. Jim thinks of all the insults he could have yelled at Leonard before the hurt settles in. He wonders why his boyfriend never told him about being married, which bothers him most of all.

Was Leonard ashamed?

Did he just want Jim around for fun before he found the next girl to take home to mom and dad?

His hurt feelings are more apparent as he takes the stairs up to his floor and walks into his apartment to find that Spock is mercifully gone. Jim vaguely recalls something about a trip to Southern California and that his roommate would be back tomorrow, which is fine by him.

Jim goes through the motions of undressing and plugging in his phone to the charger, then goes to the bathroom for a shower.

As the water beats down upon his back, he wonders why his phone doesn’t have any missed calls or text messages from Leonard. His boyfriend certainly has no reason to be mad at him, since Jim never omitted vital information such as a fucking marriage.

Hell, Leonard _should have_ at least sent a message saying that he hoped that Jim got home safely. It’s a pretty dick move.

He grumbles about his boyfriend’s other partners and continues to wash, alternating between anger and despair.

By the time Jim has dried off and wears a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, he’s more despairing than anything. He glances at his phone, whose screen is still blank. Maybe he was right in saying that he was just a post-divorce experiment and that’s all Leonard saw him as.

The thought makes Jim’s eyes burn. He wipes his nose and sniffs as he sets his alarm for the morning before going to turn off the lights.

Sleep doesn’t come easy for him, but at least the tears do.

 

* * *

 

Jim has been in far better spirits when he wakes up the next morning. 

He feels like someone punched a hole in his chest and has to force a cheery grin during work. He figures that if he fakes it enough eventually Jim will forget how miserable he is. At least the day is fairly quiet and short because of the open house. The kids spend it coloring or sitting in a circle while Nyota reads to them. He busies himself with getting everything ready for the parents and hiding his face in paperwork.

Anything to keep his mind off of Leonard, who still hasn’t sent a text or even called.

 _Asshole_ , Jim thinks as he tidies up his desk.

“Mr. Kirk said a bad word!” announces a little girl by the name of Deanna Troi, who has the hearing of a hawk and currently shakes her head, her glossy black curls swaying.

Nyota blinks at him, jaw slack, and it’s then he realizes that he was speaking aloud. “What do we do when someone’s been bad?” she asks the children.

One of them raises his hand. When Nyota calls on him, he says, “We send him to the time-out bench, Ms. Uhura.”

“Yes we do, Wesley,” she replies, frowning at Jim. “You heard the man, Mr. Kirk. Outside for ten minutes and then you can come back in.”

He gapes at Nyota, who raises her eyebrows to show that she’s not joking around, and he sets down his papers. Jim leaves the classroom feeling thoroughly abashed by his behavior and takes a seat on the bench outside.

It gives him a moment to check his phone, where he finds a text from Sam reminding him about dinner on Thursday and a missed call from his parents.

There’s nothing from Leonard, not even an email.

Jim purses his lips together and glares at his phone, silently cursing the device as time passes by. He’s so irritated that he doesn’t notice that his boss, of all people, is approaching him.

Alexander Marcus is a pretty decent guy, once you get past the stone-faced expression and stick-up-his-ass demeanor; really. “Jim?” Alexander asks, sounding confused. “What are you doing out here?”

He looks up and gives his boss a wan smile. “I’m in time-out,” he stage-whispers.

“Oh,” the older man says, his face wrinkled. “Okay. Well…think about what you did and don’t do it again.”

Jim salutes him, nodding. “Will do, sir!” he promises, faking his cheer until Alexander turns the corner.

He _really_ hopes that none of the students tell their parents about the new word they learned in class.

 

* * *

 

Open House goes off without a hitch and Jim admits that this years’ crop of parents has a bit more common sense than last years. 

He’s pretty sure that they all heard about his end of the year blunder, which is now something of legend. After all, how many kindergarten teachers are pushed into a desk and receive a concussion?

Nyota must realize that Jim is in a mood and doesn’t pry as they clean up the empty paper cups and plates. The food has already been taken to the staff lounge and stored in the refrigerator, meaning that they’ll be able to go home soon.

Once he’s back in his apartment, Jim goes straight to his room and shuts the door. He sets his alarm and gets ready for bed.

It takes him several hours to fall asleep, but he has noises from the television, Spock and Nyota’s whispers, and the San Francisco evening to keep him company.

The next day goes by quickly and Jim manages to keep all adult language away from tiny eardrums. He immersed himself in solving math problems and drawing with his students. When the recess bell comes, Jim gets the shock of his life when little Deanna Troi gives him a crayon-drawn portrait of him and a quick hug before dashing off to her waiting friends. So she may have supersonic hearing, but even Jim will admit that she’s a sweet kid who has managed to bring a genuine smile to his face.

By the time he shows up at Sam’s apartment, he’s kind of a wreck. The lack of sleep is starting to get to him, compounding his feelings regarding Leonard. Jim’s torn between cursing the doctor’s very existence and the fact that he omitted a pretty big part of his life and calling to beg for forgiveness.

“Don’t tell me,” Sam says when he opens the door. “Your students formed a posse and are protesting homework outside your window every night.”

Jim gives him a look of a scolded puppy and schleps into his brother’s apartment. “What did you want to eat?”

“Not so fast, Jimmy,” Sam tells him. “You look like shit and Nyota mentioned…”

He drops his bag on the counter and whirls around, pissed. “What the hell is this? The Jim Kirk Crisis Phone Tree?” he snaps. “Can’t you people mind your own goddamn business?”

“Of course not,” his brother replies, seemingly appalled that his _own brother_ would think that he would keep his nose out of his life. “Who do you think we are?”

“How does Nyota even have your number?” Jim continues to rant. He goes to the cupboard and takes out a glass to fill up with water. “Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you guys? You’re all stalkers! I’m moving…and changing my name. I’m going into Witness Protection!”

Sam sighs, tilting his head in the _exact same way_ their mother does when she’s exasperated with their father. “Are you finished?” he deadpans.

He even folds his arms over his chest like her.

“No,” Jim grumbles. “I can take care of myself, you know.”

“No one is saying that you can’t,” Sam assures. “All she said was that you looked like you were having a rough time.”

Jim shrugs as he takes a sip of water. A rough time is a _complete_ understatement; he thinks Nyota is being generous and probably hasn’t told Sam about his bad word slip up.

Thank god, too, because he would _never_ hear the end of it.

“Did you and Leonard have a fight?” Sam asks a bit too carefully.

Jim is suddenly very consumed by the glass of water in his hand and avoids looking at his older brother. It only makes him look guiltier.

He sets the glass down and nods. “I found out that he was married and in the process of divorcing his _wife_ ,” Jim says quietly.

“Oh,” Sam gasps.

Jim nods in agreement. “Yeah,” he sighs. “Oh, he forgot to tell me _and_ , by the way, he’s bi so it’s probably better I found out now rather than after Bones leaves me for a woman.”

“First of all, that sucks,” Sam tells him. “And secondly, that’s not even how bisexuality works, you meathead.”

He palms his face, shaking his head. “I’m just his post-divorce fun, Sam. He wants some dick before he goes back to women.”

“Um…you are not even close,” his brother rebuts as gently as possible. “I may be a straight, white male lawyer, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that bisexuality _doesn’t_ work like _that_.”

Jim frowns. “And how the fuck do you know, Dr. Freud?”

“Because I’m not an idiot like you evidently,” Sam retorts. “Some people are into one gender, some are into more than one.”

“There better be a point to this, Sammy, or I’m leaving!” Jim mumbles.

Sam places both hands on his shoulders and gives him a little shake. “Cool your jets, buddy. God, you’re just like dad when he gets pissed!”

“Am not!”

“Are too, but going back to pulling your head out of your ass,” Sam counters. “So what are you gonna do? Make a list of everyone you’ve ever dated or slept with or been attracted to and make sure Leonard doesn’t have any object?”

Jim starts pouting. “No,” he grunts.

God, he hates it when his brother is right.

“So Leonard’s had relationships with women, big deal,” the elder Kirk says. He cups Jim’s cheek and levels their stare. “The point is, whoever he’s into, he’s into _you_ , Jimmy.”

Jim swallows down the huge lump that’s come out of nowhere and blinks rapidly because tears are clouding up his vision. “Yeah,” he croaks. “Whatever you say. What do you want for dinner?”

“There’s something else, huh?” Sam presses. He studies his little brother with their mother’s brown eyes and Jim starts to fidget under the scrutiny. Sam’s brows shoot up towards his hairline moments later. “You love him, don’t you?”

He is about to shake his head when Jim realizes that his brother is not only right, but he even failed to realize it because he was so angry at Leonard.

“Whoa there,” his brother says, leading him to the living room. Sam grabs some paper towels on the way and shoves them into Jim’s hands.

That’s when he realizes his cheeks are wet and he’s crying— _fucking crying_ like Edie Keeler from last year’s students. Jim finds himself on the couch with Sam’s arm slung around his shoulders, who whispers soothingly into his ear. Once the tears have passed and there is Chinese take-out on the kitchen table, Jim mumbles to Sam, “He’s going to dump me.”

“Leonard’s not going to dump you,” Sam assures. “And if he does, then he’s an asshole.”

He snorts out a chuckle. “I thought I was the asshole?”

“You’re a meathead,” his brother corrects. Sam reaches over and ruffles his little brother’s hair. “But you’re my meathead.”

Jim ends up sleeping on Sam’s couch, meaning he stares at the ceiling of his brother’s condo until two or three in the morning.

He feels like a huge asshole for flipping out about Leonard’s past relationships _and_ for not realizing that he’s in love with him. Jim is well aware that he can be a bit thick when he’s angry, but this is just embarrassing. And he’s probably fucked up the entire relationship by walking out of Leonard’s apartment the night of their fight.

God, he’s an idiot.

Then again Leonard forgot to mention that he was married.

Okay…so they’re both idiots.

“Hey,” Aurelan says over breakfast. She rests her hand on Jim’s arm and smiles kindly. “It’s going to be okay.”

Jim is pushing his eggs around on his plate, wearing borrowed clothes thanks to Sam. “Thanks,” he mumbles.

He doesn’t feel particularly hopeful, but Jim has the weekend to plan on how to fix things or mope if that fails. First, he has to get through the school day.

Without swearing.

Sam drops him off on his way to the Peninsula. “Call me if you need to talk,” he tells his little brother as Jim gets out of the car.

He nods and heads to his classroom, where Nyota is writing the day’s schedule on the whiteboard. By some small mercy, she doesn’t pester Jim or comment that he never came back to the apartment last night. He suspects that Sam may have texted her and Spock, telling them to tread carefully.

Not that Jim blames him.

Around eight-thirty in the morning the kids stream into the classroom, chattering excitedly about weekend plans or some television program they watched the evening before. Once they’re all seated in a semicircle, Jim and Nyota start taking roll call.

The rest of the day goes fairly smoothly. No one ends up injured, sent to the time-out bench, or crying and best of all, Jim doesn’t swear in front of his students.

“What should we do tonight?” he asks Nyota as they pack up their things for the day. Jim flashes her a smile when she glances over at him. “Now that we’re freed of the munchkins for two whole days.”

Nyota smirks. “Spock and I are going to Carmel, remember?”

“Right,” Jim says, trying not to be too crestfallen. Their company would have been nice, but it’s fine. He can mope around the apartment without them. “You two and your couple-y things.”

“What about Sam?”

Jim shrugs. “He has wedding stuff… something about flowers and napkins,” he answers.

“You could always call Gaila,” Nyota suggests with a grin.

Here’s the thing: Jim adores her, but he doesn’t need to be dealing with Gaila induced craziness this weekend. “I think I’d rather be alone, thanks.”

They get on the MUNI that brings them near Jim and Spock’s apartment and just as he’s pulling out his keys to get into the building, Nyota touches his arm and sighs.

“Are you going to call Leonard?” she asks.

Jim rolls his eyes. “How many MUNI stops were you waiting for to ask me?”

“You don’t make it easy,” Nyota comments as he unlocks the door. They step inside, stopping by the rows of mailboxes where she leans against the wall. “I know you two had a fight and that you’re miserable, so just call him.”

He purses his lips together. “He could _also_ call me,” Jim grumbles.

“Leonard is just as stubborn as you,” Nyota points out. They are heading up to the apartment, taking the stairs because it would shorten the conversation. “Actually, he’s probably worse. But you should call him; ask him to come over and talk it out.”

Jim sighs heavily, dropping his shoulders in defeat. “What if he doesn’t want to talk?”

“I doubt that will happen because he’s clearly crazy about you,” she says. Nyota pats his shoulder and gives it a squeeze in comfort. “If Leonard doesn’t want to talk, he was never worthy of your time.”

It’s not exactly the sagest or comforting advice Nyota’s given him, but at least she has a valid point.

 

* * *

 

Long after Spock and Nyota have departed in their rented car for the weekend, Jim finds himself sitting in the living room as he mindlessly watches television. 

He’s replaced his work clothes with a t-shirt and sweats and put the Chinese take-out in the refrigerator. His phone rests on his thigh, the screen still black. Jim has been itching to send a text or call Leonard, but he chickens out when he’s scrolling through his contacts to find his boyfriend’s number. The stupidest thing of all is that Jim _really_ misses Leonard. He misses his goodnight calls and his cantankerous text messages.

And the smell of him on Jim’s pillows.

The very thought of it fading brings tears to his eyes. He wipes them away just as quickly as they appeared and goes to switch the channel on the television. Jim tries to find something that will take his mind off of Leonard. He keeps passing through romantic comedies and sappy Lifetime films that just make _everything_ worse. He doesn’t care about when Harry met Sally or that they got locked in an attic by their grandmother for three years; he just wants some sort of magical answer of how to fix things with Leonard.

Everyone keeps telling him the same thing: call him.

If only it were that easy.

Actually, it probably is, he’s just making it difficult for himself. Jim lifts up his phone again, staring at a blank screen with the current time and picture of him and Leonard from a few weeks ago.

They are in a bar with Gaila and Nyota sitting behind them, each woman giving the couple bunny ears. Leonard is mid-eye roll with his arm draped around Jim’s shoulders while the younger man is kissing his cheek.

“Fine,” Jim mumbles to himself. “ _Fine_!”

He goes to unlock the screen and type in his passcode when there is a knock at the door. Just his bad luck; it’s probably one of the kids from down the hall who has locked themselves out… _again_. Jim is grumbling about stupid college kids as he gets his ass off the couch and goes to the door. At least they aren’t banging on it like the last time…which was at two in the morning.

There is another knock, tentative this time.

“Hold on,” Jim calls as he starts unlocking the deadbolt, followed by the bottom lock. “You guys really need to invest in a…Bones!”

Leonard is standing just outside of his front door, wearing his work clothes and a tired, yet surprised expression on his face. His mouth opens just a bit and it seems for a moment that Leonard is going to stammer.

Instead, he holds up his hand, clutching Jim’s socks.

“You left these at my place,” he explains.

Jim throws his arms around Leonard’s neck, almost knocking them over. He is _definitely not_ tearing up or holding the doctor as closely as possible.

He feels Leonard’s arms wrapping around him and the older man’s chin resting on his shoulder. They stand like that for a while, in complete silence, until Leonard goes to kiss Jim’s forehead. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs.

“Me too,” Jim whispers in reply, holding onto him just a bit tighter. He leans back enough to see his boyfriend’s face. “Do you want to come inside?”

Leonard brushes tears off of the younger man’s cheeks with his thumb and nods. “Yeah, darlin’. Lead the way.”

 

* * *

 

They end up talking. 

Of course, they end up talking; if they didn’t, it would be silly. It doesn’t mean that they can’t snuggle in Jim’s bed while they do it. He waits patiently for Leonard to come up with the right words to say, brushing his fingers against his boyfriend’s arm.

“I met Jocelyn in high school,” Leonard explains. “We ran in the same circle of friends, but I didn’t know her very well.”

Jim has seen pictures of Leonard from high school; he looks the same but with the roundness of lingering baby fat and a mop of unruly dark hair. He’s fairly certain that his boyfriend was always good looking and never went through an awkward stage, though Jim suspects that if Leonard did that he was adorable.

“I was reintroduced to her during my last year of medical school by a mutual friend and we hit it off,” Leonard explains. “She was—is beautiful. Joss looks like Grace Kelly. And she always smiled. Smart as a whip, too. She could probably give Spock a run for his money.”

He finds himself chuckling. “I would pay to see that,” he tells Leonard.

“Maybe one day…” the doctor comments, wistfully. “We started dating and soon I received my placement for my residency in San Francisco. Joss decided to come with me; she had gotten into Hastings for law school and it seemed like everything was falling into place. We got married about a year or so later and things were great.”

Jim burrows into the doctor’s body and rests his head against his chest. “What happened?” he asks. “Why did you two divorce?”

“It wasn’t dramatic,” Leonard says. He sighs heavily, carding his fingers through Jim’s hair. “We grew up, became different people and we decided that while we were great friends, we shouldn’t be married.”

He pops his head up and stares at his boyfriend, his face wrinkled in confusion. “That’s it?”

“Yeah that’s it,” Leonard replies. “What did you expect? Something out of a soap opera?”

Jim shrugs, pursing his lips. “I dunno…it just sounds so _ordinary_.”

“My apologies for boring you, darlin’,” the doctor teases.

“So you guys are still friends?”

Leonard nods. “Yeah. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be,” he answers. “Sometimes we grab lunch or dinner together. I’ve met her boyfriend, Clay.”

“Did she ever know you’re bi?”

“Yeah,” Leonard admits, his features creasing. “She knew about it. I told her on our third date.”

Jim bites the inside of his mouth. “Why didn’t you tell me?” His cheeks flush as soon as the question is said aloud. He avoids Leonard’s eyes and shrugs. “I don’t have a problem with it…I just wish you had said something about it _and_ your divorce rather than dropping it on me.”

“I didn’t mean to do that to you,” his boyfriend tells him. Leonard lifts Jim’s chin with two fingers so that they are staring at each other. “Everything was going so well with us and I was really happy for the first time in years…and I forgot. That night in my apartment, I was so adamant that I told you and when you left, I was so angry. I was working last night when I realized that I hadn’t said a single word to you and then I felt like an asshole. An asshole stuck on a thirty-six-hour shift, so I couldn’t come over until tonight.”

They sit for a while, neither of them speaking. It’s not the type of silence filled with burden and discomfort, just quiet. Jim makes himself at home against Leonard’s chest, content to lie there and listen to his boyfriend’s heart beating against his ear. He really missed _this_ —the two of them just being together—and having it back is a relief.

“It’s a bullshit explanation and it’s the only one I’ve got,” the doctor says as he massages Jim’s scalp.

Jim sighs into Leonard’s ministrations and closes his eyes. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Oh?”

He nods, closing his eyes. “I love you,” Jim whispers.

Leonard’s arms tighten around him and his lips drop onto Jim’s head. “I love you, too.”

“Now that we have that settled, can we go to bed early?” he asks. He glances up at Leonard, yawning and rubbing one of his eyes. “I’ve slept like shit for the last few days.”

The older man chuckles and kisses Jim’s forehead. “Works for me darlin’,” he replies. “Mind if I take a shower first?”

Jim doesn’t mind at all and joins Leonard in the shower. They wash quickly as their energy is flagging and head back to his bedroom naked. Neither of them bothers with clothes and end up cuddling under Jim’s comforter, murmuring endearments as they fall asleep.

They’re fast asleep by nine-thirty and miss Jim’s neighbor buzzing the apartment because he forgot his keys… _again_.

 

* * *

 

Jim wakes up on the receiving end of fantastic blowjob and two of Leonard’s fingers up his ass while the doctor’s thumb presses evilly against his perineum. 

He cries out at the perfect amount of suction and his prostate being massaged, silently thanking God that Spock isn’t home. “Fuck,” he groans, balling the mattress cover in his fists. Leonard pulls back, licking a stripe up his shaft and swirling his tongue around his head. “Was wondering when you’d wake up,” he comments before going to mouth Jim’s balls.

God, he’s good at this. Leonard laves and sucks on each sack, giving them equal attention and driving Jim insane with pleasure. His fingers are still working the younger man open, stretching and scissoring his hole until he’s loose enough for a third finger.

“Your mouth should be illegal,” Jim manages to choke out. His body bends as the doctor’s fingers attack his prostate. “Or copyrighted, patented, whatever… _fuck_!”

Jim’s boyfriend goes back to sucking his cock, taking it all the way down until it hits the back of Leonard’s throat. It’s all slick and tight and Jim swears to some deity that if his boyfriend doesn’t fuck him within the next minute, he’ll cum.

And probably pass out.

“Bones,” he whimpers. “Please.”

Leonard curls his fingers inside of Jim, sending a spark of pleasure down his spine, and starts to mouth his way back up his body. “I know,” he assures somewhere between Jim’s navel and his collarbone.

Jim pulls his boyfriend up and brings their lips together. He kisses Leonard hungrily, burying his fingers in the doctor’s hair to keep him close. He can feel his boyfriend reaching towards Jim’s nightstand for more lube and a condom.

“No condoms,” he whispers against Leonard’s mouth. Jim half expects the doctor to argue with him and go on a tangent about sexually transmitted diseases and fecal matter and whatever else he can pull out of his big, beautiful brain.

Leonard nods, cupping his face and brings their lips together once more. They continue to kiss while he slicks himself up and presses his cock against Jim’s opening. “Love you, darlin’,” Leonard murmurs as he pushes in, his drawl thick and heavy all around them.

“Holy shit,” Jim groans as Leonard enters him without a barrier between them. He can feel _everything_ and it’s amazing.

It doesn’t matter that Leonard is chuckling at his bug-eyed expression or that Jim is one good thrust away from an orgasm; it’s perfect.

“I love you,” Jim pants into Leonard’s shoulder as he starts fucking into him with slow, steady thrusts. He digs his fingers into the doctor’s back. “God, I love you so much.”

Leonard groans against his neck and changes his movements, going deep with quick strokes. Jim takes himself in hand and barely makes it through two and a half thrusts before he’s clenching and coming between their bodies.

“Fuck,” the doctor cries out as he joins him, filling Jim up with his seed. His boyfriend is trembling from the aftershocks and rolls off onto the mattress in a heap. “Christ…”

Jim nods, still panting. “Believe me, I know.”

“We should do that again,” Leonard slurs, pulling the younger man towards his body. “When does Spock come back?”

“Sunday night.”

Leonard grins and it’s almost feral.

Who’s he kidding, _it is_ feral and seductive and perfect and makes Jim’s heart skip a beat.

“Perfect,” Leonard says before drawing Jim into a sweaty kiss.

And _that’s_ perfect, too.

 

* * *

 

 

The holidays come in quick succession.

First Halloween and Jim is surprised to find that Leonard is more than willing to dress up. He half expects his boyfriend to put a fight about it, but in the end, they go to Sam’s party as Buzz Lightyear and Woody. His brother may tease him about wearing a straw cowboy hat with those ridiculous boots that their uncle, Frank, got them on a trip to Dallas when they were in college, but they come in handy later.

Especially later when Leonard is fucking Jim up against the wall in the former’s apartment because they don’t actually need a reason to be having wild sex but it’s nice to have an excuse. 

(He may lose the hat behind the vortex behind Leonard’ couch, but it’s fine. They’ll find it eventually.)

Jim goes to Georgia for Thanksgiving and meets his boyfriend’s parents, who adore him. Dr. and Mrs. McCoy make him feel welcome in their home, where they bombard him with photographs of their son. Leonard was a cute kid with his dimples, chubby limbs, and big hazel eyes that he eventually grew into. His parents document each milestone, every science fair or high school sporting event, his graduations from kindergarten to medical school.

Unsurprisingly, Jim finds that his boyfriend _did_ scowl as a baby and he laughs until tears are rolling down his cheeks and Leonard is muttering curses under his breath.

December comes, bringing Christmas and Hanukkah with it along with cold weather and rain. Jim and Sam were raised with both religions, as their mother is a non-practicing Reform Jew and their dad is a lapsed Catholic. Their parents fly into San Francisco in the middle of Hanukkah, bringing gifts, an abundance of hugs and kisses, and home cooking. George and Winona are staying through Christmas before going back to Iowa for New Years.

“But Riverside is boring,” Jim grouses as he cuts up vegetables for the salad.

Winona scoffs at her son’s comment. “When you get older, James, boring can sometimes be good,” she sighs.

They are in Sam’s kitchen and are having a mother-son bonding moment. His brother, Aurelan, and Leonard are still at their respective jobs and it’s Jim’s job to keep his parents entertained.

Not that it’s terribly difficult. George is parked in front of the television and probably napping right about now and Winona loves cooking.

Another thing that makes this task easier is that Jim’s degree is _finally_ complete and all he has to do is walk with the rest of his class in May.

“You can be boring in Guam,” Jim comments, grinning.

His mom flicks droplets of water at him and laughs. “What about you and Leonard?” she asks as she goes to check on the various dishes in the oven. “Any big plans?”

“Hikaru is having a party at his and Pavel’s place,” he replies, dumping the vegetables in the salad bowl. “Bones is working, so I’ll be all by myself.”

Winona chuckles. “Well, your boyfriend is a _doctor_ ,” she says, grinning. “I still can’t believe he agreed to go on a date with you after you threw up on his shoes.”

“Mom!” Jim whines.

She kisses his cheek just as George comes into the kitchen. He seems to be poking around for scraps and tries to sneak a few vegetables out of the bowl.

“You’re as stealthy as a bull in a china shop,” Winona chides with a smile.

George flashes a very Kirkian grin as he pops a carrot in his mouth. “You still love me,” he tells her.

“Now I know where you get it from, cookie,” she stage-whispers to Jim, ruffling his hair. “Not even Leonard is going to be immune to your charms.”

Jim rolls his eyes. “Have you met Bones?”

“We both have,” George chimes in, wrapping an arm around Winona’s shoulders. “And we approve. He’s a fine young man and will make an excellent husband. Too bad that we spent your dowry on Sam’s wedding.”

“Dad!” Jim grumbles as he goes to wash his hands. His parents are laughing conspiringly as he runs his hands under the faucet. “The two of you deserve each other.”

Sam and Aurelan arrive home just as Jim is assisting Winona with pulling dishes out of the oven. Leonard is stuck at work and won’t be out until well after dinner, so they light the menorah and dig into their meal.

It’s a typical Kirk dinner; loud, boisterous, and with good food.

Jim ends up leaving with a doggy bag to take to his boyfriend’s apartment. It’s pretty late when Leonard stumbles in, half-dead on his feet. He goes straight to the bedroom, where he wakes Jim as he sits down on the mattress.

“What time is it?” he asks, though it comes out as muffled gibberish.

Leonard toes off his shoes. “I think I saw the garbage truck go by on my way home,” he grumbles. He turns to kiss the younger man’s cheek. “Go back to sleep, darlin’.”

It’s apparent that something is off. “Everything okay?” Jim sits up, turning on one of the bedside lamps. He reaches for his glasses and as soon as they are on his face, he sees that Leonard is anything but fine. His boyfriend looks drained for lack of a better word and his eyes are red.

“Long night,” Leonard whispers, palming his face.

Jim pulls him into his arms and rests his chin on one of his boyfriend’s broad shoulders. Leonard sags into his embrace and releases a deep exhale. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asks.

The doctor shakes his head and sniffs.

“Why don’t we take a hot shower and put something silly on the Blu-ray player?” Jim suggests. He runs his fingers through Leonard’s hair and nuzzles him.

Eventually, his boyfriend nods and allows Jim to lead him to the bathroom. While the water is heating up, they strip naked. It worries him that Leonard is so unwontedly quiet and, dare he think it, submissive. They’ve been together long enough for Jim to see his boyfriend having a bad day, but something tells him that this is different.

He also knows Leonard well enough that he will tell him what’s going on in his own time. For now, Jim is content to shower him with attention in the form of caresses and a warm embrace.

Midway through the shower, Jim feels hot tears on his shoulder and the sensation of Leonard trembling against him. He holds him tighter under the shower head, stroking his boyfriend’s wet hair.

The water starts to cool and with some dexterity, Jim shuts it off. Leonard lifts his head up, revealing puffy eyes and ruddy cheeks.

He leans in, gently kissing the older man’s eyelids, then his nose and finally his mouth. “Let’s get you to bed, okay?” Jim suggests, brushing Leonard’s hair off his forehead.

They go back to the bedroom, where they dress in their respective sleepwear and crawl back under the comforter.

Leonard rests his head against Jim’s chest and drapes an arm around his waist. The lights are off, only the street lamps illuminate the room.

“I lost a patient,” the doctor says quietly.

Jim thumbs his boyfriend’s bicep and presses his lips to his forehead. “I’m sorry.”

“She was just a kid, no older than one of your students,” Leonard tells him. “Her family was in a car accident and she seemed fine when she was brought in, just some cuts and bruises. She was alert and then…” He sucks in a deep, faltering breath. “I couldn’t get her back.”

Tears wet Jim’s shirt and he whispers assurances until they cease. By then, Leonard is mentally and emotionally drained. It doesn’t matter that it’s nearly three in the morning when Leonard is finally able to relax or that they fall asleep in a tangle of limbs; Jim is just happy that he’s able to be there for him.

 

* * *

 

Christmas passes without much excitement other than Leonard greeting Jim at the quarter of ass o’clock wearing nothing but a Santa hat, a candy cane in his hand, and a smirk as he asks, “Do you want to come see if you’ve been a good boy?”

He ends up riding his boyfriend on Leonard’s living room couch and Jim decides that he _loves_ role play. And his boyfriend.

Now it’s New Year’s Eve and he’s at Hikaru and Pavel’s house party. Leonard is working another thirty-six-hour shift and should be home by noon on New Year’s Day if nothing catastrophic happens, but for now, he’s third wheeling the evening with Nyota and Spock.

It’s fine; they had a great sushi dinner at a place in Nob Hill and a few drinks before heading over to the Inner Richmond.

“I’m really worried about Pavel,” Nyota says as she slides in next to Jim with their drinks. Her eyes are on their aforementioned colleague, who is dancing with both Hikaru _and_ Gaila, looking pretty bewildered.

Jim nods in agreement. “Should we go over there before his head explodes?”

“What’s the fun in that?” she asks with a smirk.

He starts laughing and wraps an arm around Nyota’s shoulders, pressing a peck to her cheek. “You’re my favorite co-worker,” Jim tells her.

“You say that like I don’t already know,” she replies, giving him a one-armed hug in return.

Spock comes through the crowd and arches a brow as he passes the Pavel sandwich. “Perhaps we should go over there,” he says upon his arrival.

“Nope,” Jim and Nyota reply in unison.

His roommate looks like he’s about to counter this decision, but soon shrugs and seeks out his girlfriend’s hand.

Eventually Gaila makes her way over to them, all bouncing red curls with a huge smile plastered on her face. She grabs Nyota’s hand and drags her away, only giving her enough time to pass her drink to Spock. Jim watches as his roommate takes a sip from the drink in his hand and coughs as he swallows down the contents.

“You look nervous, man,” he observes.

Spock shakes his head. “I am quite well,” he says a bit too quickly in Jim’s opinion.

“Okay,” Jim says, grabbing his friend by the arm and leading him to the back porch. It may smell like a combination of cigarette and pot smoke, but at least it’s quiet. “What’s up? And don’t say nothing because I _know_ you!”

His roommate purses his lips together and for a moment, looks like he’s going to avoid the conversation before he reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a velvet ring box and holds it out for Jim to take.

“You’re proposing to me?” Jim teases as he opens the box. “Spock, I didn’t know you felt that way!”

Spock frowns. “On the contrary,” he grumbles as Jim laughs. “I am proposing to Nyota this evening. I have yet to find the adequate time to do so.”

“Do it when it feels right,” Jim replies as he inspects the ring. It’s a garnet set in gold with a scroll motif on either side of the stone. “This was your mom’s, wasn’t it?”

He nods, remembering his mother, Amanda, who passed away when they were sophomores. It had been sudden and his roommate had been devastated. There were many nights where Jim and Spock would stay up late watching old movies and talking. In the end, it brought them closer and truly cemented their friendship.

“Do you think Nyota will like it?” Spock asks, looking worried.

“She’ll love it,” Jim assures as he hands the box and ring back to Spock.

This seems to calm his friend who puts the box back into his pocket with a nod until Spock gets this look of complete panic on his face. “You do not have to vacate our apartment anytime soon,” he declares hurriedly. “It is also your home and your presence is welcomed.”

Jim snorts back a chuckle and goes to hug his friend. “The thought didn’t even cross my mind,” he says. “But seriously, congrats, buddy! I’m really happy for you both.”

“Nyota has yet to accept my proposal,” Spock argues in a quiet voice.

He gives his roommate a little shake. “Nyota _will_ say yes,” Jim tells him, smiling. “Don’t worry about it. Now, let's get some tequila and do a congratulatory shot.”

Sometime around eleven-thirty, Jim leaves the house party to go to Leonard’s hospital. Lady Luck is on his side as he’s able to get Lyft relatively quickly and arrives with about three minutes to spare until the New Year.

He goes to the nurse’s station near the emergency room and finds Christine shuffling through paperwork. “Excuse me,” Jim says in his most charming voice. “Can you tell me where I can find a really cute doctor?”

She looks up, ready to rip him a new one until she realizes who it is and starts laughing. “In fact, I do,” the nurse tells him. “There’s a really grouchy one in the lounge. Looks like he could use a New Year’s Eve kiss.”

“Thank you,” he chirps, leaning over the desk to kiss her on the cheek. “You’re the best, Christine!”

“Could I get that in writing?” she calls as Jim makes his way to the lounge.

The television is on and set to the Times Square countdown when he steps inside. Leonard is nursing a cup of coffee and looks like he’s going to snap at someone until he realizes who his visitor is.

“Shouldn’t you be at Hikaru and Pavel’s?” he asks as he stands up to hug Jim.

He shrugs. “I’d rather hang out with you,” Jim tells Leonard.

Their lips brush against each other, soft and sweet, and everything around them becomes white noise. The countdown hits midnight and the pre-recorded crowd cheers.

They’re still kissing ten minutes later.

 

* * *

 

Jim unlocks the front door to Leonard’s apartment when he gets a text from Spock. 

It’s a picture message of his roommate and Nyota smiling into the phone’s camera with the latter flashing the engagement ring on her finger. As he climbs the stairs, Jim texts a _told you so_ reply back to Spock and pockets his phone. He stumbles into the bedroom, shedding his clothes and climbs into bed. Jim doesn’t realize how tired he is until his head hits the pillow and suddenly, it’s morning.

And Leonard is undressing at the foot of the bed.

“Morning,” Jim yawns, rolling over to his back.

His boyfriend gives him a tired smile. “Morning darlin’,” Leonard says as he crawls over the mattress and slumps down next to Jim. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I think I have Bones radar,” he tells the doctor. “Or an internal alarm that tells me when you’re nearby.”

Leonard grins, pulling the younger man on top of him. “Is that so?” he wisecracks, running his fingers through Jim’s hair. He rocks his hips, ensuring that his erection is known.

“God, I love you,” the younger man groans. He seeks out Leonard’s hot mouth and kisses him hungrily.

They take their time shedding each other of their clothing, using the opportunity to caress and mouth the skin each man uncovers. Once they’re naked, Leonard turns Jim onto his stomach and starts kissing the knobs of his spine. He rubs the younger man’s hips, alternating between squeezing and massaging. Jim feels his cheeks being spread by his boyfriend’s thumbs and moans, balling the blanket in his hands. He waits for Leonard’s next move; the slick press of tongue that travels over his perineum towards his hole.

“So beautiful,” he hears Leonard murmur, awestruck and honey-sweet, before the first swipe of his tongue over Jim’s opening.

He means to tease, to rile Jim up and it suits him just fine. He wants to be desperate for his boyfriend when the right time comes; to be on the verge and submitting to his whims.

And Jim enjoys Leonard’s whims…a lot.

They end up fucking on all fours; Jim’s slick back skimming against Leonard’s chest and stomach, held in place by one of the doctor’s arms, his boyfriend’s warm breath against the back of Jim’s neck and his cock hitting all the right places, causing him to moan with each thrust.

It’s everything he wants and then some.

In the end, they set each other off with their orgasms, ringing in the New Year even if it’s a bit delayed.

They change the sheets before going to take a shower, followed by a light breakfast and then climbing back into bed. Jim settles his head against the curve of Leonard’s neck and releases a content sigh. “I forgot to tell you,” he whispers. “Spock proposed to Nyota.”

“Oh?” his boyfriend replies, rubbing the small of the younger man’s back. “She said yes, I take it?”

He nods. “Yeah,” Jim says wistfully. “I’ll need to look for a new place sooner or later. Spock told me there’s no rush, but I don’t want to squash their newly engaged bliss.”

“You could always move in here,” Leonard suggests, his lips pressing against Jim’s hairline.

“Really?” Jim asks, propping himself up on his arm.

Leonard shrugs. “You’re barely at your apartment as it is,” he tells him, smiling. “Besides, I like having you here. It’d be nice to make it permanent.”

“When?” he breathes, returning Leonard’s smile. “When should I move in?”

His boyfriend eases him down to his chest, licking his way into Jim’s mouth. “As soon as possible,” Leonard answers between kisses.

Jim moves in that weekend.

**Author's Note:**

> Update - 2/9/2018: Made this story one chapter instead of multiple ones. My apologies if any comments were deleted in the process.


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